Harry's Hearing the Truth
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: When Mrs.Figg reports that Harry has hearing problems, Albus Dumbledore sends out two teachers to check on the ten year old boy. A Minerva and Severus mentor Harry story. Completely AU, partly OOC, indirect mentioning of Abuse!Dursleys, sick!Harry
1. Chapter 1

**Harry's Hearing the Truth**

_

* * *

Some of my readers wished for another story, in which Minerva and Severus would take care of Harry together. Here you are, I hope you'll like it. _

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to __Mrs. Rowling__, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._

**

* * *

Chapter 1**

It was a bright summer day at the beginning of August 1990. Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and Severus Snape were having breakfast together in the Great Hall at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, when an old barn owl landed in front of the headmaster and held out a letter for him.

"From Arabella Figg," Albus said surprised, before he read the letter aloud in front of his colleagues.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

_Dear Albus,_

_I have to inform you that I believe that little Harry is having problems with his ears. He can hardly hear anything, and his relatives are obviously not willing to do anything about it. When I recently spoke to Mrs. Dursley about the problem after babysitting Harry, she told me he was just stupid. However, Harry didn't have these problems before._

_As I told you several times before, even apart from this hearing problem, I don't think that Harry is treated well at his relatives' home. Even on his tenth birthday last week, he was working in the garden all day._

_I hope someone will be able to do something for Harry; he is such a cute little boy._

_Arabella Figg_

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Albus, please let us do something!" Minerva pleaded, terrified. "May I go and check on him, if necessary in my cat form?"

Albus looked thoughtfully at his two colleagues. "No Minerva, I'd like to ask Severus to go and check on him."

Minerva let out a snort. "Albus, you know as well as I do that Severus hates Harry because he is a Potter."

"Correct, Minerva. If he decides that the place isn't fortunate for Harry and he has to be brought to Hogwarts, I will accept his decision."

"I?" Severus asked unbelievingly. "I can tell you now, Albus, that I believe any place would be better for the brat than Hogwarts. Bad enough that I'll have to endure him for seven years from next year onwards..."

"Severus, that's enough!" Albus interrupted him sternly. "You will please go and look after Harry this morning. "Why don't you take Minerva with you? However, the decision is yours, Severus."

Both teachers agreed and took the Floo to Arabella's home directly after breakfast.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Thanks for your note, Arabella; we came to look after Harry," Minerva said apologetically, when she stepped out of the fireplace after Severus. "Severus, shall we go as humans or in our Animagus forms?"

"Harry will surely be working in the garden," Arabella informed them.

"A garden is the best place for a cat and a snake to hide," Severus mused, and Minerva agreed immediately.

They changed their clothing into Muggle attire and left the house, heading straight for the Dursley residence. After making sure that nobody was watching them, they quickly transformed into their Animagus forms. While Severus-snake slithered straight into the garden, Minerva-cat jumped onto a small wall just next to the garden. Both teachers watched Harry feverishly weeding the garden in spite of the heat that was threatening to burn his skin.

Suddenly, a garden snake addressed Severus. "Do you sssee the child?" it hissed. "He isss alwaysss working in the garden, but today at leassst he looksss healthy. Often he looks worssse for the wear, and the people here treat him like a garden rat. He isss my friend and sometimesss sspeaksss to me. He speaksss our mouth, but recently I wonder if he understandsss. Maybe he hasss a problem with his earsss."

"He ssspeaksss our language?" Severus hissed back in surprise. Not waiting for an answer, he slithered over to the part of the garden, where Harry was just working. "Hello little one," he hissed at the child.

Harry however didn't show any reaction at all. Severus carefully showed himself just next to Harry's hands that stopped moving immediately. "Hello thsssere. You're very pretty," Harry hissed, admiring the black snake that had a very unusual green pattern on its backside.

Feeling very uncomfortable at the compliment, Severus hissed back, "Thanksss. How are you?"

Harry gave the beautiful snake a sad look and hissed, "I'm sssorry, but I cannot hear. My earsss are too sssore."

Suddenly, a woman that Severus recognized as Petunia Dursley came out of the back door of the house, shouting for Harry. The boy however didn't react at all, and the woman had to come out to speak to him. Only when she stood in front of him, grabbing his arm, and shouted, "Come and make lunch, you lazybones!" Harry seemed to understand and apologized profoundly.

When Harry entered the kitchen, Minerva-cat left her spot on the wall and came over to Severus, moving her head so that Severus understood that she wanted him to follow her. Standing behind the garage, they made sure that nobody was watching and transformed back to their human forms. "Did you see the bruises and welts all over his arms and even at his throat?" Minerva asked flabbergasted.

"No Minerva, I couldn't see that from my point of view in the grass," Severus replied. "However, I talked to a garden snake and also to the boy, and he's obviously only able to hear if you shout, standing in front of him. I believe we should pay Potter and his aunt a visit right now."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Minerva agreed, and they walked around the house to the entrance door. On their knock, Petunia opened the door and let out a small shriek when she recognized Severus. "You!" she shouted, a horrified look on her face.

"Good day to you too, Petunia. My colleague, Professor McGonagall, and I came to meet Mr. Potter," Severus replied curtly.

Quickly glancing around if nobody saw her letting the people in Petunia hesitantly motioned for them to enter the house and led them into the living room. "What do you want from the boy?" she hissed.

"We would like to speak with him. It's only a year until he's supposed to attend Hogwarts, and we just want to make sure that he's prepared for it and that everything is well with him," Minerva replied in the voice she normally used for the Weasley twins, who had just finished their first Hogwarts year and did nothing but nonsense.

"Ah well, you won't have much fun," Petunia replied. "The boy is absolutely stupid, he can't even understand properly."

"Ah, but you surely took him to a doctor in order to remedy the problem. May I please see the record?" Severus enquired, giving the woman a glare.

"Well, just talk to the freak and you'll know," Petunia replied impatiently and went to the kitchen to fetch Harry.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Hello," said Harry, hesitantly entering the room.

"Hello Harry, can you understand us?" Minerva asked relatively loud, noticing that Harry was obviously trying to read from her lips.

"I'm sorry, Madam, I cannot hear well," Harry explained in a small voice, shyly averting his eyes to the floor.

"Minerva, as much as I hate it, let us take him with us to Hogwarts," Severus suddenly spoke up after unobtrusively waving his wand at Harry. "He needs help."

Minerva pulled a piece of parchment out of her robe pocket. Not sure if Harry knew about magic, she turned away from the child for a moment, and quickly pointed her wand at the parchment that instantly filled with her hand writing. She handed the parchment to Harry.

_We are teachers at a boarding school, which you are supposed to attend from next year onwards. Your parents were pupils at our school as well. Seeing that you're having problems with your ears, we would like to take you with us immediately in order to try to help you improve your hearing. Would you like to come, Harry?_

Harry gave Minerva an unbelieving look. "You want to take me with you? Really? But I'm just a burden to everyone and a freak; I can't..."

"Harry, you're fine!" Minerva interrupted him, moving her lips in a very clear way. "Will you come?"

Harry looked at Minerva, and a small smile played on his lips. "Yes, Madam, I'd like that very much, but..." he slowly trailed off.

"How can we take him home if he doesn't know about magic?" Minerva whispered, turning to Severus.

Severus gave the child a piercing look. He already knew from his quick check-up that a large part of his body was covered with bruises, that he had a few old injuries that were not properly healed, and that he was suffering from some kind of a chronic ear infection. But for a more detailed check-up they would need the expertise of Madam Pomfrey. Somehow, seeing this boy he remembered how he had stood in front of his abusive father, glad when he was finally old enough to attend Hogwarts.

"I will try something," he finally decided. "If you could tell Petunia that we're going to take him with us?"

"Yes, of course," Minerva replied, heading for the kitchen.

_tbc..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Suddenly, Harry could hear a voice in his head. 'Don't be afraid, child. I'm Professor Snape, and I'd like to try speaking with you this way. If you can hear me, please look at me.'

Harry hesitantly averted his eyes to the teacher. "Yes, sir, I can hear you," he wanted to say aloud, but it came out more as a whisper.

'Very well,' Severus thought into Harry's mind. 'Potter, have your relatives told you about magic?'

Harry gasped and gave the man in front of him a terrified look. "Yes sir, I know that there is no such thing as..." Not daring to speak the word, he anxiously averted his eyes to the floor.

However, the voice in his head continued to speak. 'Potter, there is magic, and you're a wizard. I'm a wizard too. Professor McGonagall is a witch.'

Harry hesitantly looked back up at the professor, who just asked, 'Didn't you ever do strange things? Hmm?'

'_Oh yes, of course, that's why they call me a freak_,' Harry thought. "Yes, sometimes," he admitted in a small voice.

'See, that's because you're a wizard,' the teacher explained, raising an eyebrow. 'Now, we told you that we live in a huge school. The school is called 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy' and is located in Scotland. All magical children attend our school from the age of eleven onwards. We will take you there now. However, we will use a magical transportation method, because that's the fast way to travel. Stay close to me, don't move, and don't let go. Do you understand me, Potter?'

"Yes sir," Harry replied shyly, giving the gentle woman, who had returned to the living room in the meantime, an anxious look.

"All right, Harry, please lead us to your room, and we will help you pack your belongings," Minerva said in a loud voice and slow speed.

Harry led them to his cupboard, grabbed a small blanket, an old sweater, and a book about garden plants that looked as if it had been read a thousand times. "All right," he told the utterly shocked teachers.

'Is that all?' Severus asked unbelievingly, and seeing the child nod anxiously, he stepped over to the boy putting both hands on the child's shoulders, gave Minerva a short nod, and told Harry, 'Hold on a moment.'

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Suddenly, Harry felt as if the world was turning around quickly, and he anxiously reached up to grab the teacher's arms, when the movement already stopped. His stomach churned and he gave the teacher a weary look.

"Are you all right, little one?" Minerva asked soothingly, loud enough for Harry to look up and read the question from her lips.

"Yes Madam," Harry replied quietly, trying to ignore the slightly queasy feeling, when he heard the other teacher's voice in his mind again.

'Look, over there you see the castle, don't you? That's Hogwarts. Are you feeling well enough to walk up there?' Severus mind thought to Harry.

"Of course sir, I'm fine," Harry replied, blushing at the attention, and looked at the castle in awe. '_Wow, that's huge_,' he thought admiringly.

The three made their way up to the castle, and the teachers led Harry straight to the headmaster's office.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry hesitantly entered the headmaster's office between Minerva and Severus, seeing a very old man with an extremely long, white beard. '_Cool; he looks like one of the people from one of the fairy tales that we learned about at school_,' Harry mused, when Severus thought into his mind, 'The headmaster is speaking to you. Look at him and try to understand what he says.'

Harry quickly glanced up into the headmaster's face, when he heard Minerva telling the old man that he couldn't hear properly. '_Fortunately, she speaks really loud_,' Harry thought gratefully, when Albus stepped around his desk and stood in front of him. "Hello Harry," he said gently, his voice loud enough for Harry to understand. "My name is Albus Dumbledore," the headmaster continued.

"Hello Mr. Dumbledore," Harry replied shyly.

'Call him Professor Dumbledore,' a voice in his head told him, and he gave the stern teacher with the menacing look on his face a grateful look, correcting himself immediately.

"I'm sorry; hello Professor Dumbledore." Suddenly, Harry noticed the beautiful bird sitting on a perch next to the headmaster's desk and looked at him in awe, while the teachers quickly exchanged a few words about their findings.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Albus, we had to bring him here. He is obviously abused," Severus stated, elaborating, "He has bruises and welts all over his body, and he has a chronic ear infection, which is probably the cause for his hearing problems. His aunt told us he was just stupid and they hadn't done anything about his problems."

"Very well, my boy," the headmaster replied, thoughtfully. "That means that the two of you have to take over the guardianship over the boy. The only possibility for a student to take residence at Hogwarts below the age of eleven or during the holidays is given when the student is a family member of a staff member."

"No!" Severus contradicted vehemently. "That's a job for Minerva; I cannot become the guardian of a Potter!"

"Enough!" Albus interrupted him sternly. "Minerva is already my deputy headmistress and not able to care for a handicapped child on her own besides teaching, being head of house, and helping me as my deputy. Therefore, I need both of you to take over the guardianship together. So, since that is cleared, let's have lunch together. In the meantime, I will ask Poppy to come over in order to check on Harry. Maybe she'll have an idea how to help the child."

"Severus, you're the best to help Harry. Moreover, you're the only one able to properly communicate with him," Minerva spoke up.

"No! Forget it!" Severus countered.

"Severus, look at the child. What does he have in common with his father except for his outer appearance? Look at his eyes," Minerva admonished him gently.

Severus glanced at the skinny boy, who was expectantly looking at him from Lily's eyes. '_Lily!_' he thought. '_Right, of course, he is Lily's son as well_.'

"Fine," he finally gave in. "But he is going to live with you, Minerva!" 'It's all right; we're just discussing where you're going to stay,' he told Harry, assuming that the boy was wondering what they were talking about.

"Ah, but..."

Albus interrupted himself when a house elf popped into the room bringing lunch for four people. Harry gave Severus a frightened look and tried to hide behind him, when the teacher's voice penetrated his ear. 'That's a house elf, Potter. You find many of them here in the castle.'

"You will find many strange things here at Hogwarts, my boy," Albus spoke in a very loud and slow voice, causing Harry to give him a small smile. He motioned Harry to take a seat at the table, while Minerva was already filling Harry's plate with some of the delicacies the house elves had prepared for them.

"Why don't you eat, sweetie?" Minerva asked a few minutes later, astonished to see that Harry hadn't even touched his food.

"I'm not allowed to eat at a table with normal people," Harry replied in a small voice, averting his eyes to the floor, and the teachers looked at each other, horrified.

"Ah, nonsense, Harry; here at Hogwarts you may eat anything you wish," Albus explained, and knowing that it had been too fast and not loud enough, Severus quickly translated the headmaster's sentence into mind talk.

Minerva and Albus managed to coax the child into eating a few bites from his plate, and Harry enjoyed the food immensely. '_It's as if I was captured in a nice dream_,' he thought amazed.

Before the teachers could take up the topic of where Harry was going to stay once more, Poppy stepped out of the fireplace and was introduced to Harry. Harry, who had never before been taken to a healer or a doctor, felt very uncertain around the stern woman, who looked at him piercingly.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I need to take him with me to the hospital wing to give him a proper check-up," Poppy finally said. "And I need at least an hour of undisturbed time with him," she added sternly, giving her colleagues a glare that didn't allow any contradictions. She knelt down in front of Harry and spoke in a very loud and slow voice. "Hello Harry. You may call me Poppy. I'll take you with me now to have a look at your ears." She extended a hand to the child, glad that he hesitantly complied, although he shot Severus an uncertain glance.

'It's all right, Potter. Go with Poppy, and she'll make you feel better. One of us will come and collect you afterwards,' the teacher explained quickly.

"Thank you, Professor Snape," Harry replied and left the room with Poppy. On the way down to the hospital wing, he interestedly looked around, seeing to his surprise that the pictures along the hall were moving. "They're moving!" he pointed out to Poppy, who gave him a comforting nod.

"Yes Harry, that's magic. It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Yes," Harry replied, glad that the woman was so gentle, speaking in a voice that he was able to understand. "People here are very nice," he stated, and a happy smile spread over his face.

Poppy gave him a smile in return and led him to a bed in the empty hospital wing, where she carefully examined him, telling him what she was doing all the time. At first she lit the tip of her wand and piercingly looked into his ears and his throat. Frowning at the result, she quickly waved her wand over the child, and Harry unconsciously flinched a little. "You don't have to be afraid, sweetie. I won't hurt you," Poppy told him gently, and Harry tried to relax, while Poppy pointed her wand to his head to take his temperature and once more moved her wand along his body.

Suddenly, Harry began to giggle, and seeing Poppy's astonished look, he explained, "That's funny if you do that. It feels all tingly in my arms and legs."

Poppy gave him an admiring smile. "That means that you can feel the magic running through your body. You're a very powerful wizard, Harry. Now let me have a look at these bruises. Can you take your T-shirt off for me, sweetie?" she asked and held her hand out, summoning a healing salve from her potions cabinet.

Harry hesitantly complied, shivering a little when he pulled his T-shirt over his head. "Are you cold, sweetie?" Poppy enquired gently, and when he gave her an anxious nod, she explained, "Your temperature is a bit higher than normal right now. I'll give you something to make you feel warmer." She quickly summoned a fever reducing potion and gave Harry just a spoon full of the light blue liquid, watching as he stopped to shiver immediately. "Now lie down and relax," she told the child, lightly pushing him back, before she gently began to apply the healing salve onto the many bruises covering his skin.

'_Oh, that feels good_,' Harry thought, sensing soft hands spreading the cool salve, which soothed the slightly sore spots on his skin. "Thank you; feels good," he mumbled, suddenly getting very tired.

"It's all right to sleep, Harry," Poppy said softly, continuing to apply the salve while the child slowly drifted off to sleep. She quickly spelled the rest of his clothes away, so that she could treat each of the spots. Finally, she conjured light summer clothes for the boy and dressed him with a flick of her wand, before she carefully tucked the peacefully sleeping child in and went into her office to research about Harry's ear problems.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Poppy had just found what she was looking for when Minerva, Albus, and Severus entered the hospital wing together. "How is he, Poppy?" Minerva asked in concern.

Poppy sighed. "As you assumed, his bruises and welts didn't only cover his arms but his whole body. However, they are already healed, and the healing salve made him tired; that's why he's asleep right now. He had a slight temperature, probably resulting from his ear problems, and I gave him just a sip of a fever reducer. Some of his bones in his arms and legs seemed to have been broken before and healed improperly, and I'm afraid that I have to break at least two of them again to heal them properly, so that he won't get problems in the future. However, that doesn't have to be today. We can wait until he is used to his new life here and feels more comfortable."

"That'll be better I suppose," Minerva agreed, giving her friend a grateful look.

"Now, his ears," Poppy continued, sighing. "He probably had an inflammation of the middle ear on both ears some time ago. That might have been a year or even longer ago. The infection obviously wasn't treated at all. Therefore, it affected other parts of his ears, his throat, and his sinuses as well and became chronic, preventing him from hearing properly. I have to do some more research, but according to the information I've found so far, there is no way to heal him. However, it will be important to prevent him from getting worse. Since his most important organs for the blocking of bacteria are affected, I'm afraid that he will be prone to colds and illnesses, which if untreated will further aggravate his condition."

She sighed again and continued, "The boy told me that his relatives never took him to a doctor or a healer. Therefore, we have to watch him closely all the time. Even if he feels bad, he probably won't tell us because he's not used to complain if he's sick."

"We will keep an eye on him," Minerva promised. "Is there no way to improve his hearing abilities, Poppy?"

Poppy glanced at Severus. "In fact, there is a healing salve that has to be applied directly into his ears, where it will be magically spread throughout the whole ear. However, it has to be applied once a day, and the negative effect is that he will feel very dizzy and has to lie down for at least half an hour afterwards. How much this will help improve his hearing," she continued seeing her colleagues expecting looks, "depends on how often he'll get ill, which will probably be very often if he lives at Hogwarts with so many children around, and on how long ago it was that his problems started."

"So we will have to train the boy to read from people's lips even if they talk in normal speed, otherwise he won't be able to follow any classes next year," Severus spoke up pensively.

"Would it make any sense to learn and teach him sign language?" Minerva enquired thoughtfully.

"No, because we can't use sign language in classes," Severus replied sternly.

"Where is he going to stay?" Poppy asked. "I'd like to have him nearby if that's possible, considering that he has to come to me for his ear salve once a day."

"Yes, we can do that," Albus replied thoughtfully. "He can stay in the small room just opposite the hospital wing, and I will ask the house elves to connect the room to Minerva's and Severus' quarters. That way, you can all keep an eye on him," he suggested, throwing the Potions Master a stern look that didn't allow any contradiction.

"What are we going to do when the school year starts in four weeks and we have to teach classes?" Minerva asked. "We need someone to teach him at least some more primary school knowledge or such and to keep an eye on him during the day."

"Maybe we should let him attend first year classes. That way he has a year to learn to understand at least what the teachers say, and maybe next year he'll be able to follow his classes," Severus suggested.

"In that case, we have to get him sorted earlier," Albus said thoughtfully.

"No Albus, he can stay in his own room in our quarters and can attend lessons together with the Gryffindors and Slytherins during the first year until he'll officially enter Hogwarts," Minerva contradicted.

"Exactly. With the problems he currently has, he won't be happy to stay in a dormitory, where he can't even understand his roommates," Severus agreed.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

After dinner, Minerva and Severus led Harry into his room, watching as the child looked around in awe. "This is really my room?" he asked unbelievingly.

"Yes Harry, this is your room. The door here on the left leads into Professor Snape's quarters, the room on the right into mine, and you're free to enter our rooms. Professor Snape will tell you a few rules tomorrow. Now I suggest that you go to bed, since we will have a long day tomorrow. We have to take you to the Ministry of Magic to apply for the guardianship over you, and we'll have to go buy some clothes for you as well."

Noticing that Harry didn't understand a word of Minerva's explanation, Severus quickly repeated her sentence straight into the boy's mind, receiving a grateful look in return. While Severus retreated into his private lab to brew the ear salve for Harry, Minerva led the child into the bathroom, before she transfigured his clothes into comfortable light pyjamas and tucked him into his bed. "Are you feeling well?" she asked, carefully feeling his forehead to be sure that he didn't have a fever.

"I've never felt so well, Professor. Thanks a lot for everything," Harry replied, feeling extremely happy.

"You're welcome, Harry. Now try to sleep. If you have problems, come to my rooms," Minerva slowly told him before she retired to her quarters.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When Harry woke up in the morning, he didn't know what he was supposed to do and finally resolved to stay in bed until he was told otherwise. Severus was the first to enter his room. 'Good morning, Potter. How are you?'

"Good morning, Professor. I'm fine," Harry replied, quickly getting out of bed.

Severus pointed his wand at the child, and Harry found himself dressed in black jeans with a dark green T-shirt. "Thanks, Professor," he said gratefully and followed the professor into his living room.

'Sit down here for a moment, Potter. Professor McGonagall and I put up some rules for you, which we want you to obey,' the teacher explained, placing a piece of parchment on the table in front of Harry.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Harry hesitantly took the parchment that Severus had placed in front of him and read.

_1. You will obey to your guardians.  
2. You will attend all meals together with us either in the Great Hall or in our quarters.  
3. You will inform us immediately if you feel sick or have any health problems.  
4. You will only enter our bedrooms or the potions lab after knocking and being called in.  
5. We will try to help you improving your hearing and will treat you as if you were our son._

"All right, sir," Harry said, putting the parchment back on the table. '_It can't be worse than at the Dursleys_,' he thought, feeling very glad to have a new home.

'We've also talked about your schooling, Potter, and have decided that we try to teach you not only hearing but also certain things about the magical world that most magical children, who grew up in the wizarding world, probably know when they enter Hogwarts. When school starts in three weeks, you will attend first year classes in order to learn how to get along in classes in spite of your hearing problems, so that you probably will have much less problems when you officially start school next year. Is that all right with you?' he professor asked.

"Yes, of course, Professor; thanks a lot," Harry replied gratefully.

"Can you go and see if Minerva is already up and willing to accompany us for breakfast?" Severus suggested, speaking loud enough for the child to understand, and Harry hurried back into his room and hesitantly stepped into Minerva's quarters.

Five minutes later, the three left through Harry's door since it was the one nearest to the Great Hall. While Harry had been too stunned the evening before, he now stood in the Great Hall admiring the beautiful large room with the extraordinary ceiling. "It's beautiful," he gasped, amazed. When the teachers ushered him to the seat between them at the head table, he couldn't help wondering aloud, "How come that I'm allowed to eat so much and that I don't have to cook the meals?"

"Because that's what is normal for children, sweetie," Minerva explained. "The Dursleys didn't treat you well, but I can promise that you will always be allowed to eat as much as you want."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

After breakfast, Minerva and Severus took their new ward to the Ministry of Magic to apply for the guardianship over Harry. Fortunately, Minerva had been alert enough to let Petunia sign a parchment the day before, on which she abandoned the guardianship over the boy. The lady at the family division asked Harry a few questions, and in the end, a very happy Harry left the Ministry, walking between his two new guardians.

"Now that you're our ward, you may call me Minerva," the woman explained to the child.

"And I am Severus," the potions master added.

"Thank you, Minerva and Severus," Harry replied, thinking, '_It's as if I had parents, I'm the luckiest boy in the world_.'

Since Harry urgently needed clothes, they headed straight to Diagon Alley and bought jeans and T-shirts, one sweatshirt as well as school clothes for Harry. He blushed deeply when the teachers added underwear, socks, and pyjamas to the pile of clothes. Finally, they entered the bookstore to buy his school books and to the apothecary for potions ingredients. Before they returned to Hogwarts, Minerva and Severus took the child to Fortescue's ice cream parlour.

Harry was completely amazed. Never before had anyone bought anything for him, at least as far as he could remember. Today, his new guardians had bought so many things for him, and now he was even allowed an ice cream. He gave them an utterly confused look, causing Severus to just order a mixed ice cream for him. While they were waiting for the ice cream to arrive, Minerva showed him a book, which she had bought for him apart from his school books. Harry curiously looked at the title. It said, "_Hogwarts: A History._" When he gave Minerva an enthusiastic look, she told him, "That's my favourite book, Harry. I hope you'll like it too."

Severus gave Harry a beginner's Potions kit, which he had arranged for him. It held a cauldron and several ingredients that were used in simple healing potions, which Severus intended to brew together with Harry during the holidays. "Are you really going to teach me brewing Potions?" Harry asked eagerly, giving the teacher a huge smile, when he nodded affirmatively.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When they returned to Hogwarts, they still had an hour until dinner. "Maybe we should take him to Poppy for his ear salve," Severus suggested, and Minerva agreed, seeing that Harry seemed to be tired anyway.

"Can you explain about the ear salve and about having to rest afterwards, please, Severus?" Minerva asked, and Severus quickly filled Harry in about what Poppy had told them yesterday.

Minerva accompanied Harry to the hospital wing, noticing amusedly that Harry took his new book with him. "I don't think Poppy will allow you to read, Harry, and I want you to obey to her in any case," she told the child strictly.

"Of course, I will obey," Harry promised, cuddling the book close.

Poppy made him lie down and carefully applied the salve to his left ear, causing Harry's eyes to fill with tears. "Does it hurt?" Minerva asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes," Harry replied miserably, trying to tug his ear.

"No, sweetie, don't," Poppy admonished him and walked around his bed to tend to his right ear. As soon as she applied the salve, Harry couldn't manage to suppress the tears anymore that began to run down his cheeks.

Minerva sat on the edge of his bed and carefully wiped the tears off his cheeks with a cool cloth, while Poppy pointed her wand to his head to check his temperature. "He has a bit of a temperature again, 37.6, which is about the same as it was yesterday," she told Minerva in a small voice.

"Will the potion always hurt him as much?" Minerva asked worriedly.

Poppy sighed. "I don't know, Minerva; we'll just have to wait and see. In any case he has to stay for at least thirty minutes every time.

Minerva quietly remained at Harry's side during the next thirty minutes, holding his hand, while Harry was still cuddling his new book under his other arm. When Poppy, who had retreated to her office in order not to disturb Harry by talking to Minerva, returned half an hour later, she handed her friend a magical thermometer. "If you think he might have a fever, I need you to take his temperature, and if you use this thermometer, I will be notified of the reading, so that I can act if anything needs to be done."

Poppy turned to Harry. "How do you feel? Does it still hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Only my head hurts a bit," Harry replied in a small voice.

Poppy carefully held his head up a bit with one hand and gave him another spoon full of the fever reducer. "Better now?" she asked, giving the child a concerned look.

"Thanks, yes," Harry replied and sat up, noticing that he felt a bit dizzy.

"All right; shall we go to the Great Hall for dinner then?" Minerva asked.

The sentence '_I will obey to my guardians_,' popped up in Harry's head just when he opened his mouth to tell Minerva that he didn't want to eat anything right now. "Okay," he replied shortly and scrambled out of bed, carefully holding on to the night table.

"No Harry! Back into bed!" Poppy ordered him immediately, seeing that the colour vanished from Harry's face as soon as he stood up. "You're still dizzy, aren't you?" she asked gently, helping him back into bed. "Go to dinner, Minerva, I'll keep him here for a while until the after effects of the ear salve are completely gone," she turned to her friend when Harry gave her a grateful nod.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Poppy found out that it took Harry an hour to get over the after effects of the ear salve. When Minerva and Severus returned from dinner and came to collect Harry, they suggested that in the future, Poppy should come over to Harry's room in the evenings to apply the salve right before his bedtime, and Poppy agreed, provided that one of them would stay with the boy until he fell asleep. "Of course we'll do that, Poppy," Minerva promised and helped Harry to get up, so that they could return to his room.

"Harry, do you feel up to sit on the sofa and read for a while, or do you want to go to bed?" Minerva asked when they entered his room.

"I'd like to read for a while," Harry replied, giving his guardian a hopeful look.

"Then let's sit in front of the fireplace," Minerva replied and looked at Severus questioningly. "Will you join us, Severus?"

"All right," the potions master agreed, seeing that Harry gave him a pleading glance. "We should tell the boy about the schedule we put up for him for the rest of the holidays."

"Yes, but I think it would be better if you filled him in telepathically. He seems to be exhausted, and trying to listen to our speaking all the time is probably very tiring for him, especially as he isn't completely healthy.

"I'll ask him," Severus promised and turned to Harry. 'Shall I tell you about our lesson plan for you by mind thinking, or do you want Minerva and me to speak about it aloud?'

"I'd prefer mind thinking," Harry replied immediately.

* * *

_If you'd like to participate in my poll how Harry should be sorted in this story, please visit my Yahoo page (poll: only for one day)_

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

'All right, Potter...'

"Harry, please," Harry quickly interrupted the teacher. Seeing that Severus gave him a questioning look, he explained, "Please call me Harry, sir. You told me that I should call both of you by your given names, but could you call me by mine as well, please?"

'Okay, Harry, Minerva and I have put together a schedule. In the morning, Minerva will teach you about several topics concerning the wizarding world. She will also teach you easy Charms if you want, and you will try to understand her. She will increase the speed of her talking gradually. In the afternoon, I will teach you easy Potions. As far as possible I will speak aloud too. Only if you not understand or are too tired, you will tell me, and then I'm going to use telepathy. In the evening, you may do as you wish. However, we will be available if you have questions any time.'

Harry's eyes lit happily. "You are really going to teach me so much? Thank you, I'm really looking forward to learn magic. Can we start tomorrow morning?"

Minerva smiled at the excited child. "Yes Harry, we will start tomorrow. However, it will be hard work for you to listen to us all the time."

Harry gave her an anxious glance. "Yes," he replied in a small voice.

"Shall we have tea?" Minerva asked, and when Severus gave her a confirming nod, she called a house elf to order tea and biscuits. "Oh no, Harry needs to eat something," she suddenly remembered.

'Harry, are you hungry?' Severus enquired.

"No thank you. Madam Pomfrey gave me a potion, I don't know what it was, but she told me that I wouldn't have to eat tonight if I didn't want to," Harry explained in a small voice, averting his eyes to his book.

"All right, sweetie, then try one of these biscuits here; they are my favourites," Minerva instructed him, pouring tea into three cups.

Harry hesitantly took a biscuit before he settled down with his book and began to read, getting very excited. '_A new book, and a book of my own! That's so brilliant! Plus, it seems to be very interesting_.' He read about the founding of Hogwarts and the time of the founders and was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't notice when Minerva tried to speak to him several times. Only when a voice penetrated his mind, he looked up from his book.

'Harry, we believe that it's time for you to go to bed,' Severus told him. 'You had a tiring day, and your condition is not a hundred percent good, so you should try to get as much sleep as you can.'

"All right. Good night, Minerva, Severus," Harry replied obediently, stood up, and headed for his room.

When he was in bed, his two guardians entered his room, and while Severus stood beside Harry's bed, Minerva sat down on the edge of his bed and extended a hand to feel his forehead. "Hmm, I think he is a bit warm, but I don't think he has a fever; Severus, what do you think?"

Severus stepped over and leaned over Harry, putting an even colder hand on his forehead. 'Are you feeling all right, child? Do you feel feverish like you did in the afternoon? Or do you have a headache again?'

"It'll be better when I sleep," Harry mumbled back, lazily closing his eyes."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

In the morning, Minerva began to teach Harry, and as she had prognosticated, it was very exhausting for Harry to try to understand her talking and to take in the content of their lesson at the same time. Nevertheless, he enjoyed himself very much.

"Maybe we should buy a wand for Harry," Minerva suggested, when she, Albus, Severus, Poppy, and Harry ate lunch together in the Great Hall.

"If we want him to attend Hogwarts from the coming school year onwards, he needs a wand in any case," Albus replied, giving Severus a glance.

Severus sighed, knowing how to interpret the headmaster's glance. "I was going to teach Harry Potions, but we could finish a bit earlier and quickly head to Diagon Alley to buy a wand. Would that be agreeable for you?" he addressed the boy.

Harry, who was tired from his morning lessons with Minerva, had completely tuned out and did not even notice that everyone was watching him in concern.

"No, I don't think you should teach him Potions and then go to buy a wand," Poppy said sternly. Severus, you can telepathically ask him if he wants to learn about Potions or get his wand, or you can decide what to do, but both is too much and too strenuous for him."

'Harry, are you all right?' Severus asked the boy, making him jump in fright. 'I'm sorry; it was not my intention to frighten you. Do you feel up to going to Diagon Alley once more today in order to buy a wand?'

"Oh yes, I'd really like that," Harry replied, stifling a yawn.

Seeing how tired the child was, Severus made him take a nap, before they floo-ed to Diagon Alley to buy Harry's wand. It took quite a time to find the right one, and Harry already thought that there wasn't one that matched him, but finally, they were able to return to the castle. When they sat together in Minerva's sitting room like the evening before, Harry pulled his new wand out of his robe pocket and asked hesitantly, "Excuse me, could you just teach me something to do with my wand? An easy Spell or something? Please?"

Minerva laughed and showed him the Lumos Charm, while Severus explained telepathically what he had to do. "Lumos!" Harry incanted properly, and the tip of his wand lit up. "Oh, this is fantastic!" he shouted enthusiastically. "Thanks a lot!"

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When Harry woke up in the morning, he knew immediately that he had caught a cold again. Since he had started having his ear problems, he became sick once a week, and after his primary school teacher had phoned Petunia three times making her pick up her nephew because he had a fever, the Dursleys had taught him to hide his condition from everyone.

Harry got up, dressed himself, and did his best to hide from his guardians how bad he felt. He even managed to eat a few bites of his breakfast, although his throat was very sore and it hurt to swallow. During their lesson however, Minerva noticed soon that the boy was not his normal cheerful self. Since he had been so delighted learning the Lumos Charm, she taught him another easy Charm, 'Vingardium Leviosa'. When she wrote the incantation on a piece of parchment, Harry managed to pronounce it properly after a few tries, and the small parchment hovered over to Minerva's side of the table.

"Very well done, sweetie," Minerva commended the child, giving him a huge smile.

"Thank you," Harry replied, smiling back.

Seeing that the child didn't show any enthusiasm like he did the evening before and that his smile didn't really reach his eyes, Minerva gave him a piercing look, noticing that his face was even whiter than normal and his cheeks were flushed as if he had a fever. She quickly walked around the table, sitting next to Harry on the sofa. "Harry, are you feeling well?" she asked in concern and carefully placed her hand on his forehead, making Harry flinch vehemently.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized immediately, noticing that Minerva watched him in concern. "I was just startled," he explained, feeling that his voice was getting hoarse.

"Harry, you're ill," Minerva stated and quickly summoned the thermometer Poppy had handed her a few days ago. "I need to take your temperature, sweetie," she apologized, motioning Harry to open his mouth.

'_Just like in primary school_,' Harry thought, while he let Minerva stick the thermometer under his tongue and tiredly leaned his aching head into her robes.

Minerva cradled the child close, trying to give him the little bit of comfort she could give at the moment. After a while, the thermometer flared orange and the display read, '38.8.' Not wanting to tire the child by listening to her, Minerva showed him the thermometer and motioned him to follow her. She made him lie down on his bed and quickly transfigured his clothes into pyjamas, before she told him, "Wait a moment, sweetie, I'll call Poppy."

Harry sighed. '_I don't want them to make a fuss about me, I'll be fine_,' he thought, knowing that he'd be fine in a few days. "I'm fine," he told the teacher hoarsely, making her give him a knowing smile before she left the room.

"Call Severus please," Poppy said, when she entered Harry's room after Minerva. She waved her wand at the child before she lit the tip of her wand and looked into his throat and ears. Seeing that Severus had arrived, she quietly explained the result to her colleagues, asking him to fill Harry in. "I don't want him to aggravate his condition by trying to listen to me, Severus."

'Harry, you have a throat infection with a fever, and you'll have to stay in bed at least until tomorrow. I'm going to make a potion for you, which will take about an hour to brew, and then you'll feel much better.'

"Thanks," Harry croaked, giving Severus a small smile, before he turned to the others. "I'm sorry for being such a burden."

Minerva and Poppy gasped, while Severus told them, "It's all right, I will tell him." 'Harry, you are not a burden, not to any of us, not to anyone else. You're ill, and we're going to take care of you.'

"But I keep getting sick once a week," Harry whispered, throwing the teacher a frightened look.

'Then we will deal with it every week. It's no problem. We will try to make your ears better with the healing salve, which I'm going to improve too, and then your general condition will improve as well. Don't worry, Harry.'

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During the next weeks, the teachers noticed that Harry indeed kept falling ill once a week. However, when Poppy did a thorough check on his ears on the last day of the holidays, she noticed that his ears' condition had improved a tiny bit. "It's not enough to make a detailed prognosis, but if it keeps improving the same way, he might be at least much better in a few years' time, if not completely healed," she hesitantly told her colleagues.

"Oh, that's great news," Minerva replied, sighing in relief, while Severus quickly filled Harry in telepathically.

"Thank you very much," Harry said, glancing at his guardians and the healer. He absolutely hated the healing salve, because it hurt him each time it was applied, and he was very dizzy afterwards. However, it was good to know that it did at least help and that perhaps one day he'd be able to hear like everyone else. Harry felt very unsure about the fact that the students were going to arrive the next day. On one hand, it would be great to have other children around, but on the other hand, he wouldn't be able to understand them anyway. '_How will I be able to follow lessons?_' he worried. '_I can understand Minerva, Poppy, and Severus, because they try to speak so that I can understand, but even with them I'm only able to understand if I'm not tired or sick_.'

"Don't worry so much, sweetie," Minerva told him while they walked to the staff room for the last staff meeting before the students returned. "You'll do well! Now sit down in one of the chairs over there and rest or read your book."

Harry read his book for a while, until he noticed that his head began to ache. He put the book away and curled up in his seat, closing his eyes. Suddenly, Severus' voice penetrated his mind. 'Are you feeling sick, Harry?'

Harry quickly sat up properly and glanced at the teacher, who was looking at him. He slightly shook his head, closing his eyes again.

'Do your ears hurt? Or your throat, your head, or anything else?' Severus asked again, and Harry inwardly groaned put quickly pointed to his head, not even bothering to open his eyes this time. Only when he felt a cool hand on his forehead, he blinked, seeing the professor towering over him. 'You're ill, child,' he told him, saying aloud, "I'm going to take Potter back to his room. He's feverish."

"Wait a moment, Severus," Albus contradicted immediately. "I believe that Filius is right that we should sort Harry before the beginning of the school year, which would be today since tomorrow is already the first of September."

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Albus, I just told you that the boy is sick," Severus replied sternly, glancing at Poppy, who stood up immediately and stepped over to Harry, waving her wand over the child.

"He has the flu with a fever of 39.8 degrees." She quickly transfigured the chair into a sofa and helped Harry lie down. "Severus, please tell him to stay put while I'll fetch a potion for him." Turning to the headmaster, she added, "If it has to be today, then you must wait until the potion works. Maybe he'll be able to get sorted, if the Hat promises to make it quickly."

Severus sat down in a chair, quietly talking to the child, and Minerva sat down next to him on the sofa, tucking him into a warm blanket, while Poppy went to retrieve the flu potion and Albus fetched the Sorting hat. Poppy made Harry drink the potion from a huge goblet, and he visibly relaxed when he handed the empty goblet back to Minerva and lay down again.

"Severus, can you please tell him to sit up once more, so that we can sort him?" Albus insisted.

"No!" Poppy replied strictly. "You will let the child sleep for the moment. I have to give him his next dose of the potion in four hours, and after that maybe I will allow you to wake him up."

While the teachers continued their meeting, Harry slept peacefully until Poppy rouse him four hours later. Harry lazily drank down the potion and already closed his eyes again, when Severus told him, '_Harry, the headmaster wants you to be sorted tonight. I know that you're feeling horrible, but do you think you could wait a moment and put the Hat on your head before you lie down and go to sleep again?_'

"Okay," Harry mumbled sleepily, leaning on to the person sitting next to him, not caring if it was Minerva, Poppy, or Severus. Suddenly, he felt himself slightly pulled away and noticed that something was being put on his head. An instant later, a high voice penetrated his mind.

'Ah, that's difficult. I've no idea what I'm going to do with you. You have qualities of all four houses, and your talents... Hmm...'

"Then please decide something. I don't care, but I'm tired and want to sleep," Harry replied aloud in a very impatient voice that seemed untypical for Harry, who normally was very polite.

The teachers looked at each other in confusion. No other student had ever talked back to the Sorting Hat aloud. "Ah, but that's probably because Severus always mind talks to him, and Harry has to reply aloud. You cannot compare this to other students' situations," Albus said thoughtfully.

"I don't know. Gryffindor and Slytherin, maybe Ravenclaw too. Do with him what you wish," the Hat suddenly said aloud.

"I believe it might be time to abolish that foolish old piece of cloth," Minerva said in a huff, taking the Hat off Harry, before she helped him lie down again.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When Harry woke up in the morning, Minerva was sitting on the edge of his bed, smiling down at him. He looked around, noticing that someone must have brought him back to his own room while he was asleep. "Good morning," he croaked, looking back at his guardian.

"Good morning, Harry. How do you feel?" Minerva asked, seeing that his cheeks were still flushed and his hair was sticking to his sweaty forehead, which she had refrained from wiping so far in order not to wake him up. She quickly conjured a cold cloth and carefully bathed his hot face.

"Thank you," Harry whispered, closing his eyes. "Feels good." When Minerva finally adjusted the cloth to his forehead, he reached out for her cool hand, taking it into his small, hot hand.

They quietly stayed in that position until Poppy entered the room a while later. When she waved her wand over Harry, he lazily opened his eyes and smiled a little. "Feels tingly," he whispered.

"I believe that," Poppy replied, smiling back. She carefully examined his ears and looked into his throat and eyes, before she finally asked, "Does anything hurt, Harry?"

"Only my head... and my eyes hurt a bit," Harry replied, somehow sensing that she had to know the truth in order to be able to help him. "May I stay in bed?" he asked, feeling absolutely horrible.

Poppy gave Minerva a worried glance, before she slowly nodded her head. "Yes sweetie, of course." She helped him sit up and held a goblet to his lips, glad that Harry swallowed obediently. "He will need about two more doses," she whispered to Minerva. "I can't tell you yet if he'll be well enough to attend the Welcoming feast, but if you have work to do, I can stay with him today."

"I have some office work left, which I should finish until the students arrive," Minerva replied thoughtfully, watching Harry's breathing evening out. "I don't know what Severus is doing."

"He's doing research on Harry's ear salve," Poppy informed her. "He stayed with Harry until I came to give him his potion during the night, and then he told me that he had an idea, which he wanted to try out, and left for his lab."

Minerva chuckled. "It's funny to see how Severus has changed during these four weeks. When Albus ordered him to go check on Harry, he was outraged. He wouldn't go look after a Potter. And now he spends the night in the lab in order to help the sweet child."

Poppy sighed. "I believe that he sees himself in the child. He was abused at home too, and he probably realized that they have much in common. Thanks God, because Harry really needs both of you. He seems to be experiencing the feeling of having parents for the first time in his life."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

In the evening, Poppy grudgingly allowed Harry to attend the Welcoming feast. Harry was still slightly feverish and didn't feel well at all, but he didn't want to miss the event in any case. From his seat between Severus and Minerva at the head table, he watched as the first years got sorted. "Why does he sort each of them without making a fuss and won't sort me?" he whispered to Severus, when Minerva went to put the Hat away.

Severus sighed. Albus had told him everything about his long conversation with the Hat that he had conducted in the morning. He had also wanted to speak with Harry about it, but Poppy had denied the headmaster a visit with the child, claiming that he was too ill to try following a conversation. 'The Hat told Professor Dumbledore that Hogwarts was your home, not one single House within Hogwarts but the whole castle. One reason is that you have parents now, who live at Hogwarts together with you, and the other reason is that you'd fit in three of the four Houses, and that he just didn't know how to decide. However, you will have free access at least to Gryffindor and Slytherin, and Professor Dumbledore promised to properly introduce you to the students.'

Finally, between the main course and the dessert, the headmaster stood and addressed the students. Harry could only understand bits of it that didn't make sense. However, he noticed that suddenly everyone was looking at him and blushed terribly at the attention.

'It's all right, Harry. He told them that Minerva and I took you in because you couldn't remain at your former home, that you have difficulties hearing, and that you will use the year until you officially enter Hogwarts to attend first year classes in order to learn how to follow lessons. He told them that you were already sorted into all Houses at the same time, and that he expects everyone to treat you as a member of the same House, while you would remain in your own room in our quarters. He asked everyone to help you, and then he told the first years that they can ask you if they don't know their way around the castle or if they need help in Potions.'

"In Potions?" Harry questioned astonished. "But I have no idea about Potions. What does he mean?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. 'You are quite adept at Potions, and we have already covered the first year material until February. Now, eat your dessert, Harry.'

Harry gave the teacher a hesitant look and whispered, "Might I perhaps return to my room? I don't feel so good."

'Of course, Harry. I will accompany you. Let's walk along the Slytherin table, so that I can have a word with them about our House meeting later on,' Severus replied immediately and quickly filled Minerva in, before they left the Great Hall.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Back in Harry's room, Severus helped him into bed and quickly transfigured his school clothes into light pyjamas. 'Is there anything I can do for you? If not I suggest that you go to sleep,' he thought to the child, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"Madam Pomfrey still has to give me the ear salve, doesn't she?" Harry asked tiredly.

Severus sighed and placed his cool hand on Harry's forehead. 'I don't think that you're well enough, Harry. She can only apply the salve, when you don't have a fever. With a slightly high temperature up to 38 degrees it's no problem though. All right, let's quickly take your temperature and decide then,' he mind thought pensively, before he stuck the thermometer under Harry's tongue. While they were waiting, he told the child, 'This morning, I've brewed a new version of the salve, and I hope that it won't hurt so much when Poppy applies it. However, we can only try it out when you're completely healthy in order to notice if something's wrong with it.'

The thermometer flared orange, and Severus told Harry, '39.3; Harry, that's too high, and I'm afraid that you won't even be able to attend classes tomorrow morning.'

Harry groaned. "Oh please, let me attend classes. I don't want to miss them from the first day onwards. And if Madam Pomfrey gives me the flu potion, it will go down anyway, won't it?"

'Yes, it will, but we need to consider your fever before you take a potion, not afterwards,' Severus thought back. 'I will speak with Poppy. Maybe she'll let you attend my class, which is the first in the morning, provided that you'll feel well enough. Now try to sleep for a while.'

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

In the morning, Harry's fever was down to a slight temperature, and Poppy grudgingly allowed him to attend his morning classes. She attached a wrist band to Harry's left wrist that after a few seconds displayed the numbers 37.5. "You will watch the numbers, and if it goes up and exceeds 38 degrees, you will go back to bed immediately. I will know because the numbers show here on my watch." She showed Harry her wrist watch. "Is that clear?" she asked, giving the child a piercing look.

"Yes, Madam," Harry replied, annoyed but glad that he could attend classes. '_I will attend all my classes. I have to learn to follow the lessons, which I won't learn if I stay in bed; if necessary, I can just take the band off for a while_,' he thought mischievously.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

At breakfast, Minerva and Severus handed the timetables out to their students. However, Poppy sat next to Harry, forcing some of his breakfast into his mouth. When Minerva came back, she told Harry, "Can you please accompany the first year Gryffindors to the Potions classroom and after the lesson up to the Transfiguration classroom? I told them to wait for you after breakfast."

"Yes, of course I can do that," Harry replied, glad to be able to help.

After breakfast, Minerva introduced Harry to her first years and explained how they had to talk to Harry if they wanted to communicate with them. Harry gave her a grateful smile and said, "All right, let's go. It's a ten minutes walk down to the dungeons."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When Severus entered the classroom with a 'bang', Harry smiled happily. He really liked his guardians, especially Severus since he could talk to him so easily: He was also very kind, and whenever he noticed that Harry didn't understand he helped him with telepathy. However, the students around him seemed to be afraid of the teacher. Harry couldn't understand what he said in his entrance speech, only bits that didn't make sense, but Severus had a menacing expression on his face. However, as soon as the professor finished his speech, he mind thought to Harry, 'Don't worry, Harry; that was only an introduction in order to put them onto their toes. We're going to brew the 'Antigua' Potion right now; you know how to do that!'

'_Ah, of course I know that_,' Harry thought happily. When everyone started to brew, he began as well and was even able to prevent the nice girl that was sitting next to him from stirring into the wrong direction at one stage. After the class, the girl thanked him profoundly, especially as there were only a handful of students apart from them, who were able to brew the potion flawlessly. She also told him that her name was Julia. Harry blushed a little when he confirmed, "Julia? That's a nice name; I like it."

Harry led the students up to the Gryffindor tower, but by the time they reached the Transfiguration classroom, he was very tired and his head had begun to hurt again. When he sat down in the first row as he had been instructed to sit in every class, between Julia and a Slytherin first year, Ken, he suddenly remembered his wrist band that was hidden under the sleeve of his robe. He unobtrusively glanced at it, seeing that the numbers had climbed up to 38.5. He groaned inwardly and decided to just ignore it for the time being. There was no way that he could try to take the thing off under the eyes of Minerva, who was sitting right in front of him on her desk in her amazing cat form, which she had shown him a few days ago.

Minerva also gave the students a speech, which Harry didn't even try to understand. He didn't even notice that she gave him worried looks, until Julia slid him a small piece of parchment, on which she had written in her fine hand writing, "_Be careful, Harry, the professor seems to be watching you. Maybe you should at least try to listen_."

Harry gave the girl a small smile, whispering, "All right, thanks." He tried to listen to his guardian's speech, but his head hurt so much that he just couldn't concentrate. Fortunately, all the teachers had agreed to write every Spell or Charm they were going to practise on the blackboard, marking the correct pronunciation.

When her speech was finished, Minerva placed a small box in front of Harry containing spoons. "Can you please hand them out to your classmates, Harry?" she asked, and Harry obediently stood up, glad when Ken began to help him immediately.

Without being told Harry knew what they had to do with the spoons, since it had been the first thing Minerva had taught him in Transfiguration. When she wrote the Spell on the blackboard, he sighed in relief and waved his wand to make the spoon shine. Seeing that Ken threw him a helpless glance, he waved his wand again to undo the Spell and showed Ken exactly how he had to perform the Spell correctly.

"Very well done, Mr. Brighton," Minerva commended the boy. "Five points to Slytherin." She threw Harry a proud glance, noticing that he looked very happy when he turned to Julia to help her as well. However, she also saw that his cheeks were flushed feverishly and his eyes were glassy again. As soon as the lesson was over, she stepped to Harry and carefully took his wrist in his hand, reading the numbers from the wrist band. "Harry, you have a fever and need to go to bed for a while." Seeing that Julia and Ken were watching them, she explained that Harry's condition wasn't very good and that he became sick quite often. "Maybe you could share your notes with Harry later," she suggested crisply, before she motioned Harry to follow her.

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized to his new friends in a small voice. "They are all very protective of me. I hope I can attend the afternoon lessons though."

"If not, we will ask the professor, if we can visit you," Julia promised, speaking very slowly, so that Harry could guess what she meant, and Ken nodded affirmatively.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

To Harry's chagrin he wasn't allowed to attend the afternoon classes, even if his fever went down again after Poppy gave him his next dose of the flu potion. "Please, let me go, I'm fine," he begged Poppy, but the healer remained adamant.

"You're not fine, Harry; you still have a bit of a temperature, which will go up very soon if you attend classes. Please stay in bed and rest; if you do so, you'll probably be able to go to your classes again in the morning."

In spite of his disappointment, Harry didn't dare leave his bed against Poppy's instructions and decided to do his homework. When Minerva came to check on him after her first afternoon class, he proudly showed her his Transfiguration homework that was already done. "Give it to me, and I'll check it afterwards," she promised, before she glanced at his wrist band and said, "Now I want you to rest, Harry. No more school work today. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Harry replied and lay down. Only when his head hit the pillow did he notice how exhausted he was and tiredly closed his eyes, falling asleep within seconds. He woke up when he felt a cool hand on his forehead.

"Harry, your friends have come to visit you," Minerva told him. "They are waiting in my office. Do you want them to come, or don't you feel well enough?"

"I'd like to meet them," Harry replied happily, and Minerva went to fetch Julia and Ken. "Hello, thanks for coming," he greeted them as soon as they entered the room.

Julia sat down on the edge of his bed, while Ken sat on the chair next to his bed. "It must be annoying to be ill on the first day of classes," Ken said slowly.

"Yes, it is," Harry confirmed. "I was looking forward to attending classes, and our classmates seem to be really nice, although it's very difficult for me to understand them in class, when they don't speak in my direction. And it's even impossible to understand anything during the breaks when everyone talks at the same time. But I'll probably be able to attend classes again tomorrow morning."

"How long have you been living here at Hogwarts?" Julia asked curiously.

"Only a month," Harry replied and added hesitantly, "I grew up with Muggle relatives, and Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape came to take me away from them in order to help me with my hearing problems. My parents died when I was a baby."

"Can't you use a Muggle hearing aid?" Julia asked softly.

"No; they explained the reason to me, but I didn't understand everything. It has something to do with my special kind of illness, which they hope to heal or at least make better with a salve that Professor Snape is developing for me."

"Were your parents Muggles too?" Ken enquired.

"No, they were wizards. What about the two of you? Are your parents magical or Muggles?" Harry asked, giving his new friends a curious look.

"My parents are both purebloods, although I don't care if someone is a pureblood or even Muggle born. The only important thing is that they can do magic," Ken replied and repeated the sentence once, seeing that Harry obviously didn't understand.

"My mum is a witch, and my dad is a Muggle," Julia admitted before she glanced at the two boys. "Do you think we'll be able to be friends even if we are in different Houses?"

"Why not?" Harry replied. "Look, I'm not in any House. They tried to sort me, but the Sorting Hat apparently was too lazy or whatever and just told them to do with me what they wanted. He said I'd fit in any House. And we have a great advantage. We have my room here, where we can meet at all times. This door," he pointed to the entrance door, "leads to the hall just opposite the hospital wing. So you don't even have to ask the professors if you want to visit me."

The three friends talked for a few minutes more, but Harry noticed that he couldn't concentrate enough to follow the conversation any more. "I'm sorry, but I cannot listen anymore; my head is starting to hurt," he finally told his friends."

Julia quickly took a parchment and a quill out of her bag and wrote, "_Harry, do you want us to write? Or should we leave and let you rest?_"

"I don't want you to leave," Harry replied, "if it's not too much of a bother to write everything for me."

"_It's no problem at all_," Ken wrote on his parchment.

Harry sighed in relief. "Thanks a lot. I'm really happy. You're the first friends I ever had."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the entrance door, and Poppy entered the room. "Oh, visitors," she said, smiling at Harry's friends. She quickly waved her wand at Harry before she asked, "How do you feel, Harry?"

"I'm fine," Harry replied, glancing at the wrist band that said '37.8.'

"May I assume that he's tired listening, seeing that you're having a written conversation?" Poppy turned to Julia and Ken.

"Yes, he told us he couldn't concentrate anymore and his head hurt. That's why we started to write," Julia explained quickly.

Poppy quickly pointed her wand to Julia's parchment, and a different writing appeared. "_If you feel well enough, you may accompany your friends to the Great Hall for dinner. However, I want you to sit at the head table, where Severus can mind talk to you, instead of aggravating your condition by trying to listen to the students. After dinner I want you back in bed immediately_."

"All right," Harry replied. He quickly got up and followed his new friends down to the Great Hall, where he took the empty seat next to Severus.

'I saw that you became friends with Ken Brighton,' Severus thought to Harry, a pensive look on his face.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Why sir? Is something wrong with becoming friends with Ken?" Harry asked astonished.

Severus cleared his throat. 'No Harry, there is nothing wrong with it; on the contrary. However, you should see that you add at least one more Slytherin student to your little group; otherwise Mr. Brighton could get problems in his own House if he has only friends outside his own House. Unfortunately, the relationship between the Houses is not as good as I believe it should be. Maybe you'll be able to remedy that problem. As soon as your condition improves a bit, I should take you to the Slytherin common room for a while, if you don't mind.'

"I'd like that," Harry explained. "It's just that I'm too tired listening to everyone once classes are out for the day. Could we perhaps do that on the weekend, when I don't have to attend classes listening to the teachers and my classmates before?"

'That's a good idea, Harry,' Severus agreed.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

The next months showed that Severus' concern had been unnecessary. The trio of Harry, Julia, and Ken spent much time in either of the common rooms, Slytherin or Gryffindor, and knowing that Harry belonged to both Houses, nobody said anything against it, even if he brought another friend from the other House. All Hogwarts students were very friendly towards Harry and accepted him as if he belonged to the same House, and in the meantime Harry had begun to feel grateful towards the Sorting Hat, because he probably had more friends and everyone behaved much nicer towards him as if he had been sorted into one of the Houses.

Harry's hearing abilities had improved gradually, even if only a very little bit. Severus and Poppy, who were continuously watching his progress, were determined that they would succeed mending his problem completely during the next few years. Severus was constantly working on Harry's ear salve, which he already had improved a few times. Nevertheless, it still caused Harry to remain in pain and dizziness each time after Poppy applied the salve.

Harry's general condition hadn't improved at all so far. Once a week he had to spend a day in bed with some kind of cold, and his friends often witnessed how the teachers, who were all keeping a close eye on the boy, sent him back to bed from class, when he was coughing, sneezing, or felt feverishly hot to the touch. Harry was very sad to miss classes, even if his two best friends were always allowed to visit him after class and did their best to entertain him without tiring him out too much, but he had become used to following the classes and enjoyed himself immensely.

Fortunately, Harry already knew most of the important Spells that were taught to the first year students, since Minerva and Severus had practised with him during the summer holidays. However, he more and more learned to understand each teacher's pattern of teaching by watching the teachers' gestures closely and was able to adapt to it in order to understand what the teachers wanted. Moreover, if he really didn't comprehend what something was about, he only had to give Julia or Ken a questioning glance, and they instantly wrote him a short notice, helping him out patiently.

Harry enjoyed flying a lot and hardly anything could prevent him from watching the Quidditch matches that started from the middle of November onwards. The trio took turns sitting with the Gryffindors or with the Slytherins, and Harry was always invited to attend the winning team's victory party afterwards.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Two weeks before the beginning of the winter holidays, it snowed for the first time, and on Harry's suggestion, the first year students of Gryffindor and Slytherin met just after breakfast on the Quidditch pitch for a snowball fight that continued until the beginning of the Quidditch match Slytherin – Ravenclaw two hours later. The students had so much fun that they agreed to meet on Sunday morning again for the next snowball fight. '_Maybe we could even make a snowman building contest_,' Harry mused. '_I have to speak with Minerva and Severus and ask if they can organize something_.'

Until the end of the Quidditch match, which lasted three hours and ended with a victory of Slytherin, Harry had become absolutely cold, and Ken and Julia watched him in concern when he began to sneeze a few times. "Don't get sick now, Harry. It's only a week until the tests begin, and we have to study a lot during the next days," Julia told him, causing Harry to give her a smile, not only to convince his friends that he'd be all right but also himself.

"It's all right; we'll attend the victory party in the Slytherin common room and warm up in front of the fire," Ken replied, pulling Harry and Julia with him down to the dungeons.

In the common room, the older students handed out glasses with a colourless liquid inside, telling the first years, "It doesn't taste good, but it'll warm you up; it's like a potion, so you better gulp it down at once."

Harry obediently gulped down the liquid, which tasted horrible. However, he noticed immediately that it helped him warm up and that it mended his slightly scratchy throat. A while later, the house elves brought dinner for them into the common room like they had done in Gryffindor three weeks ago for their victory party. This time, however, the house elves didn't bring pumpkin juice for the students like in Gryffindor but Butterbeer, which Harry had never tasted before. He hesitantly tried the brown liquid but liked it immediately. '_Hmm, that's nice_,' he thought. '_I should always attend the victory parties here. Maybe I'll be able to play in one of the House teams when I'm older. The only problem is that I don't belong to one special House_.'

"Harry, are you there? Are you feeling all right?" Julia enquired, worriedly noticing that her friend seemed to be completely absent.

"Oh yes, brilliant," Harry replied. "I was just wondering... You know... I'd love to play Quidditch in one of the House teams, but that won't be possible because I belong to all Houses, right?"

Understanding Harry's problem, Ken stood up. "Hey, could you please all listen for a moment? Harry has a problem. He wants to play in one of the House teams if possible from next year onwards, but as he belongs to more than one House, that won't be easily possible, will it? Does anyone have an idea?"

"I've watched the boy flying," Marcus Flint, the captain spoke up. "He would make a brilliant Seeker or Chaser. However, I don't think it'll be possible to put him into one of the House teams, because the other Houses would protest. However, I'll have a word with the Professor about the matter. Maybe he'll be able to do something about it." He remained pensive for a moment, before he continued directly to Harry, "If it was impossible to hire you for one fixed team, maybe we could make you a reserve player that has to fill in wherever a player is missing because of illness or whatever, provided that you don't mind playing for random Houses."

Harry impatiently read what Ken and Julia were feverishly scribbling down for him and answered excitedly, "Oh Marcus, that would be brilliant; I'd really love that. Can you please talk to Professor Snape about it?"

"All right, little one, I'll do that tomorrow morning," the captain promised.

Suddenly, Julia glanced at her watch. "Oh Harry, we have to hurry up. You already had to be in your room five minutes ago."

Harry gasped and stood up immediately, feeling slightly dizzy for a moment. He quickly muttered a 'Good night' and ran all the stairs up to his room, which he entered completely out of breath after hurriedly waving 'Good night' to Julia.

Poppy and Minerva were already waiting for him, and Harry quickly took his robes off and lay down on his bed, before he muttered, trying to catch his breath at the same time, "I'm sorry... was at the Slytherin victory party... completely forgot the time... sorry."

"That's all right, dear," Poppy replied gently, knowing that Harry had never let them wait before. "Are you feeling all right, sweetie?"

"Yes," Harry panted. "Sorry."

"Should we wait a moment for you to calm down, Harry?" Minerva asked softly, handing him a glass of water.

Harry greedily gulped down the water and let out a deep sigh. "Thank you, Minerva. No, I'm ready." He lay down so that Poppy could easily reach his right ear and squeezed his eyes close, trying not to moan in pain when the salve hit his ear. '_Am I only imagining it or does it hurt more than normal?_' Harry thought horrified, when he felt gentle hands turn his head over to the other side. Pain hit his other ear an instant later.

"Harry, please look at me," he heard Poppy's gently voice.

However, he was in so much pain and felt so dizzy that he just wasn't able to comply. His stomach churned, and he could only mumble, "I'm going to be sick" and turn to the side, before he had to empty his stomach. He heard voices but wasn't able to make out what they said until suddenly Severus' voice penetrated his mind.

'Harry, what's wrong with you? Please tell me exactly what you feel, so that we can help you.'

"I don't know," Harry mumbled weakly. "Just don't feel good; it hurts and I'm freezing and hot and..."

'Hmm, all right, Harry. Does your stomach feel better now?'

"Yes," Harry replied, feeling absolutely miserable.

Poppy, who had waved his wand over the child, let out a gasp. "I'm not sure, but it seems to me as if he had been poisoned. Severus, I need you to check his blood, while I will try to get his temperature down, which is dangerously high. Minerva, can you go and ask Julia what happened in the Slytherin common room tonight?"

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Harry, who had completely tuned out the voices, didn't even notice when Severus magically took a few drops of blood out of his finger. However, he nearly jumped in shock when he felt his bed being transfigured into a bathtub. His teeth began to chatter, and he painfully opened his eyes to throw Poppy a reproachful look.

"You have a very high fever, Harry, and this will help you feel a bit better," Poppy explained, gently wiping his hot face.

Poppy had just transfigured Harry's bed back and tucked him in carefully, when Severus strode into the room. "No, he hasn't been poisoned, Poppy. The poison is a reaction of moon fern and phoenix tears, which are both contained in the salve, and alcohol, which he obviously consumed at the party."

He turned to Harry. 'Harry, what did you drink in the Slytherin common room? Please tell me exactly what it was, because that seems to be the problem.'

Harry tried to remember. "There was something, but I don't know what it was. It was some colourless liquid, which tasted horribly. And then we had Butterbeer," he replied, noticing that his voice was very hoarse.

"And on top of the combination of medicine and alcohol he has a bad cold, so that he probably already had a fever when I applied the healing salve," Poppy sighed, when Minerva returned to the room.

"That exactly matches the information Julia gave me. Harry obviously caught a cold being outside in the cold for so many hours. The older students then made them drink fire whiskey or something, followed by Butterbeer, and we didn't notice that he was sick because we thought that his flushed cheeks and shallow breathing were a result from running back to his room," she explained.

"In that case, we cannot do anything for him at the moment," Poppy replied thoughtfully. "We can't give him any more potions for at least twenty-four hours. I can only put a sleeping spell on him and a Charm to monitor his temperature that will alert me if it becomes dangerously high again." She carefully slid a wrist band over his right hand, pointed her wand to it, and mumbled something, causing the wrist band to show figures that very slowly rose up to '40.5'.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During the following days, Harry's condition didn't improve at all. His throat and even his ears were very sore and infected, his head and eyes hurt due to the high fever, and he couldn't keep any potions down. Even the potions that Poppy spelled directly into his stomach in order not to force anything down Harry's inflamed throat caused him to throw up.

Harry felt absolutely awful. He couldn't even try to listen to anything or anyone except for Severus, who remained the only one able to penetrate his mind. Only one of his friends was allowed to visit him for a few minutes each day, and since they were told not to speak to him they brought him letters, which Severus read to Harry, whenever the boy was alert enough. Minerva and Poppy spent many hours at his side, silently trying to make him feel better.

It took until the end of the week until Harry's stomach had recovered enough so that he was able to digest potions. From that time onwards, his condition became better, and until Sunday evening, his ear and throat infection had improved nicely. However, he still had a bad cough and a fever, and Poppy told him sternly, "No Harry, everything over 38 degrees is a fever, which means that you cannot attend classes. I don't care if it is the test week or just a normal week; you will not get up while you're having a fever. If your temperature is lower than 38 degrees in the morning, you may go."

"But I feel fine," Harry protested weakly, feverishly thinking how he could get the Mediwitch to let him go to his Potions test the following day.

"You ARE not fine," Poppy replied sternly, throwing a last glance at his wrist band before she left the room in annoyance.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry woke up very early, glad that he had thought of adjusting his alarm clock to a time when everyone else was still asleep. He quickly looked at his wrist band that showed a nasty '38.2' and tried to take it off. However, becoming aware of the fact that it would be too obvious, he played with the thing for a while, experiencing how he had to put it onto his wrist so that it couldn't take his temperature properly and how long it would take it to go up to a temperature that would sound reasonable so that the healer wouldn't become suspicious. He had just lain back contentedly, when Poppy entered the room, causing him to unobtrusively adjust his wrist band to the proper position, before he greeted the healer.

"Good morning, Harry. My, you're awake early today, aren't you?" Poppy said, sitting down on the edge of his bed. "How do you feel?"

"Much better," Harry replied eagerly. "May I attend classes please?"

Poppy sighed and looked at the wrist band. "36.8, oh, that's a great improvement, Harry. Well, let me look into your mouth and your ears, and if everything is all right you may get up." She peered into his throat and ears and gave him a contented nod. "All right, Harry, if you're sure that you really feel well enough, you may attend classes. However, I want you to lie down after lunch until the beginning of the afternoon classes, and you must watch your wrist band and come back immediately if your temperature goes up or you feel worse."

"Yes, of course," Harry replied happily. '_I can't believe that she was so surprised by my low temperature that she forgot to do her magical check on me_,' he cheered inwardly and hurried to get ready for class. Afraid that any of the teachers, especially Minerva or Severus, would notice how he had fooled Poppy, he took breakfast at the Slytherin table, sitting next to Ken, who was over the moon with joy to see his best friend.

"Are you already allowed to attend classes, Harry?" he asked astonished.

"Yes," Harry beamed. "I don't want to miss the potions test. Although I'm a bit worried because I wasn't able to study for the tests at all."

"Well, you're so good at Potions that you'll manage anyway," Ken replied, giving his friend a huge smile.

Julia waited for them at the entrance door to the Great Hall. "Harry, are you all right?" she whispered worriedly, while they were descending the stairs towards the dungeons. "To me you still look feverish."

"I'm fine," Harry replied quickly, although he had already noticed that he wasn't feeling as well as he had thought earlier. Fortunately, Severus didn't notice anything, although he seemed to throw him concerned looks from time to time, and Harry found the test very easy.

"Those, who have completed their tests, can leave their parchments on their desk and go," the professor finally said, and Harry decided to leave immediately in order to rest, so that he would be able to brew his potion properly in the afternoon, provided that he could fool Poppy once more. This time, he played with his wrist band, putting it on and off, so that it showed a more believable slight temperature when Poppy came to check on him.

He managed to brew a flawless potion in the practical part of the test. However, when he was just bottling his potion, he nearly spilled everything in shock, suddenly hearing Severus' voice in his mind. "Are you feeling all right, child?"

Harry slightly shook his head, now feeling absolutely awful. He slowly stood up, swaying a little, and took a few steps to place the phial on the teacher's desk. "Mr. Potter, please go to my office and take a seat. I would like to speak with you in a few minutes," Severus said aloud before he thought to Harry, 'Harry, go through my office and my quarters and go to bed. I will ask Poppy to check on you.'

Harry gave him a short nod and complied, glad to be able to lie down. "Severus telepathically told me that your condition worsened," Poppy told him when she entered his room a few minutes later.

"Yes," Harry replied miserably, showing her the wrist band that now displayed a figure starting with 39.

Poppy quickly waved her wand over him, sighed and gave him two potions, watching as he drifted off to sleep immediately. During the next three days, Harry felt neither able nor inclined to fool Poppy or his guardians about his condition that remained unchanged, causing Poppy and his guardians to worry why his fever had gone up again after coming down once on Monday.

On Thursday evening, his condition finally began to improve, and on Friday morning, Harry decided to attend the Transfiguration test at any cost and once more efficiently managed to fool Poppy by playing with his wrist band before she came to check on him. However, he was not able to fool Minerva.

The written test in the morning was no problem, and since Poppy had told him to eat lunch in the Great Hall and show her his wrist band afterwards, he sat down between Julia and one of the other first years, unobtrusively playing with his wrist band so that he could fool her again after lunch. After a short break, it was time to head up to the Transfiguration classroom for the practical tests in the afternoon.

Since Harry, Julia, and Ken were sitting in the first row as usual, they were the first, who were called over into the teacher's office to do the practical test. Harry had do three different transfiguration spells and to undo them, which was very easy for him. He sighed in relief, when Minerva said approvingly, "Very well done, Harry." However, while she told Julia to get ready, she gave Harry a piercing look, taking in his flushed cheeks and glassy eyes. She carefully extended a hand to feel his forehead. "Harry, you're burning up. Let me see your wrist band, please."

Harry hesitantly showed her the wrist band that he had unobtrusively been playing with all the time. "36.1," Minerva read, an incredulous look on her face. "I'm sorry, Harry, but there's something wrong with your wristband I think. Please sit there on the sofa and let me take your temperature."

Harry anxiously sat on the sofa, while Minerva pulled a thermometer out of her desk's drawer and sat down next to him, motioning him to open his mouth. She stuck the thermometer under his tongue, before she gave Julia her first assignment. "Very well done, Miss White; you are free to leave," she said after a few minutes. "Now it's your turn, Mr. Brighton."

"May I stay with Harry?" Julia asked, giving the teacher a pleading glance.

"All right," Minerva agreed, sighing, and took the thermometer back. "39.3," she stated, exasperated. "Harry, I don't have time now, but we will talk about this later on. Miss White, can you accompany Harry to his room and stay with him for a while? I will send Mr. Brighton over as well after his test."

"Of course, Professor," Julia replied and followed Harry through Minerva's quarters. "Oh Harry, she said, helping Harry to lie down, I do not want to be in your skin, when Professor McGonagall returns from class. She seemed to be extremely angry."

"Yes," Harry replied, shivering, "I know."

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Minerva was absolutely enraged, when she entered Harry's room after the last tests were over. Seeing that Harry was lying there with his eyes closed, while his friends were sitting quietly on the edge of his bed, holding his hands, Minerva wasn't able to scold the child as she had intended. "How is he?" she whispered to Julia.

"His fever is very high right now I think. He's probably worried about what you're going to do with him, Professor," Julia whispered back. "I believe that he already regrets that he fooled you and Madam Pomfrey."

Minerva sighed. "Yes, I believe that, but nevertheless I have to punish him, not only because he fooled us, and Madam Pomfrey will be at least as angry as I am, but also because he willingly put himself in danger. His condition is too poor to do such stunts."

"How are you going to punish him, Professor?" Julia asked in concern.

"You'll be going home tomorrow anyway, won't you?" Minerva asked back, and when the two students nodded, she continued, "He will be grounded over the holidays, except for Christmas day, and until we believe that we can rely on him to behave a bit more responsible towards himself, we will take his temperature twice a day the Muggle way, three times if he's sick."

"Oh, poor Harry, he's going to miss his wrist band," Ken chuckled.

Julia shot him a stern glance. "Well, it's his own fault, isn't it? That was too foolish."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"What does 'grounded' mean?" Harry asked Severus later when his guardian informed him of Minerva's punishment.

'It means that you have to stay in your room; no flying, no meeting with friends, no visits to the library, and so on,' Severus explained patiently.

"What about brewing with you?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Severus chuckled. 'Well, since you have an 'O' in your practical and theoretical tests, I cannot claim that you need tutoring; however,' he continued quickly, seeing how Harry's face fell, 'I don't think that Minerva would mind me teaching you during the holidays, but we have to ask her. And, I believe you have something else to tell her, don't you think so?'

"I have to apologize," Harry mumbled. "To Madam Pomfrey too."

'Yes, that's correct. Both of them are very worried of you, and what you did was really naughty.'

"I know," Harry whispered, fighting against the tears that welled in his eyes.

'Now Harry, I have to take your temperature, and I believe that you're in dire need of a potion, aren't you?'

"I've a splitting headache, if you mean that," Harry whispered, before he obediently opened his mouth.

While he stuck the thermometer into Harry's mouth, Severus thought to him, 'I won't speak to you for a while, because the telepathy will only worsen your headache. I'll give you a potion in a few minutes.'

Feeling the annoying cold thing in his mouth, Harry couldn't hold his tears back any longer and silently started to cry. 'Please stop it immediately,' he could hear Severus voice in his mind. 'You will only make your temperature go up even more.'

After a time that felt endless to Harry, Severus took the thermometer back and frowned. He helped Harry to sit up and pressed a cold phial to his lips, glad when Harry swallowed obediently. 'Don't worry and don't make yourself so upset, little one. You don't want to spend the holidays in bed, do you? Now try to sleep, Harry. I'm going to stay here with you. I will speak to Minerva later, and you'll see, everything will be all right.'

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

On Christmas Eve, Harry's condition finally improved, and Poppy promised that he probably would be allowed to get up in the morning. Later in the evening, Minerva was sitting on the edge of his bed, speaking with Harry for a while. "What do you think Father Christmas will bring for you, sweetie?" she asked, causing Harry to give her a confused glance.

'_What am I going to tell her?_' Harry thought feverishly, feigning a yawn to win some time.

"Ah, sorry, Harry, you're tired. Go to sleep, so that you'll be well enough to get up tomorrow," Minerva told him, knowing how strenuous it was for Harry to listen, especially when he was tired or sick.

Harry closed his eyes in relief, wondering if he should get up at all in the morning. '_Everyone will think that I'm a freak, if I'm the only one not to get any presents, just like the Dursleys did_,' he mused sadly. During the night, he woke up from nightmares about Christmas morning several times.

_Harry saw himself looking under the Christmas tree, which stood next to the head table in the Great Hall, and he found lots of presents; however, they all had somebody else's name on it. When he was finished pulling all the presents from under the tree giving them to the respective people, everyone could see that Harry was the only one, who hadn't received a present. While he anxiously sat down on his seat between Minerva and Severus, he could hear Minerva say to Poppy, 'I always suspected that he was a freak. Now we know it for sure.' _

Harry woke up with a jolt, tears running down his cheeks, and his head was pounding heavily. Only a few minutes later, Severus entered his room and sat down on the edge of his bed. In order not to startle the boy, he carefully placed a slender hand on his forehead, causing Harry to blearily open his eyes. 'What's wrong, Harry?' Severus asked astonished. 'Don't you feel well?'

"No," mumbled Harry, closing his eyes again.

'Ah, and I had thought you'd be well enough to get up today,' Severus mind thought concerned. 'Now let's take your temperature, and then we'll see what we can do to make you feel better.' He stuck the thermometer in Harry's mouth and quietly wiped the child's face with a cold cloth, before he proceeded to sit back and hold his hand until the reading was finished. '37.8,' he sighed. 'I'd think you could get up for a little while to open your presents, but if you don't feel well enough...' he slowly trailed off, expecting Harry to assure him that he was fine.

However, Harry kept quiet, grabbing Severus' hand once more. Ten minutes later, Harry had yet to speak, and Severus slowly grew worried. He telepathically told Poppy what had happened, asking her if she could come and check on the child. A few minutes later, Poppy entered the room, a cheerful expression on her face. "Hello sweetie, how are you on this fine morning?" she asked aloud, and Harry lazily opened his eyes, while Poppy waved her wand over him.

"His temperature is slightly higher than yesterday, and he has a bad headache," she quietly told Severus and added in a louder voice for Harry to hear, "I will give you two potions, Harry, and then we'll see if you feel better. I'll be back in a blink." Two minutes later, she held out a goblet with a light orange potion.

Severus peered into the goblet, seeing that he had laced the headache potion with a calming draught, and raised an eyebrow at Poppy, while Harry obediently gulped down the potion. When he handed the goblet back, Poppy stuck a spoon full of the fever reducer into his mouth. Harry lay back and relaxed visibly. "Let him rest for ten or twenty more minutes, and then you'll check his temperature and ask him how he feels, and if he's better, he may get up for a short while," Poppy whispered to Severus and slid a wrist band over Harry's hand.

Severus gave her a nod in return, taking Harry's hand once more. Ten minutes later, he checked the wrist band, seeing that Harry's temperature had come down a bit, and asked, 'Harry, are you feeling a bit better? I'd like to take you to the Great Hall if you feel up to it. I've seen many presents under the tree with your name on them.'

"No." Harry shook his head in exasperation. "I never get presents from Father Christmas."

Severus smirked. 'I saw presents for you, I swear!'

"Really?" Harry asked surprised, slowly opening his eyes.

'Yes, really,' Severus replied and pointed his wand at the child to transfigure his pyjamas into a black jeans and a green shirt with a green robe on top. 'Go and wash your face, and then we'll head to the Great Hall, were everyone is already waiting for us.'

Twenty minutes later, Harry was excitedly unwrapping presents and couldn't believe that there were still others with his name on them. When he had finally unwrapped all the books and other presents he received, Severus thought to him, 'Harry, I still have a present for you.' He pointed to a wooden box with small holes in it.

Harry carefully opened the box and hesitantly peered inside.

* * *

HP

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

He looked in awe at the small garden snake the box contained. Somewhere he had seen the snake before. '_Ah, it looks like my friend that was in the garden at the Dursleys, but that can't be; how should he come here?_' "Hello," he hissed at the snake, seeing that the animal hissed something back that he couldn't hear. "I can't understand it," he said, giving Severus a helpless look.

'If you want to keep her, we can bond her to you, and then she'll be able to mind talk to you, Harry,' Severus thought calmingly. 'Do you recognize her?'

"Is that the snake that was in the Dursleys' garden?" Harry asked hesitantly.

'Exactly, and she was the one, who told me about your treatment at the Dursleys and your health condition,' Severus told the child, causing Harry to give him a curious look. 'In fact, you have to thank her that we took you away from the Dursleys immediately.'

"Do you speak Parseltongue then as well, sir?" Harry enquired, giving the small snake a grateful look.

Severus quickly transformed into a beautiful black snake with an extraordinary green pattern that Harry would always recognize again. "That was you! Right, that was just before you came to rescue me. You're absolutely beautiful," he hissed to the teacher.

The black snake turned to the garden snake, and twenty minutes later, the small snake was bonded to Harry. 'I'm glad to be your familiar now, Harry,' the snake thought straight into his mind like Severus always did.

"I'm happy too," Harry hissed back, slowly getting tired. "What's your name by the way?" he enquired curiously.

'I don't have one yet. It's up to you to name me,' the snake told him.

"Then I'm going to call you 'Lucky', since I was very lucky that you told Severus about me, so that they took me away from the Dursleys," Harry quickly decided, throwing an anxious glance at the snake that told him, 'That's a nice name, I like it!'

Harry picked the snake up from the ground and watched giggling as she arranged herself around his neck. "That feels funny; is that comfortable for you?" he hissed.

'Very comfortable; yesss,' was the answer.

"Harry, here is one more present for you, and then you should come back to the table to eat your breakfast," Harry suddenly heard Minerva shout over to him from the table, where everyone had already finished his breakfast in the meantime.

'Harry, can you please put Lucky away while we eat? I don't think it would be good to have a snake at the table, familiar or else,' Severus told the child, and Harry stopped dead in his tracks.

"I don't want to eat right now; I'm not hungry," he told the teachers, causing Severus to grab his wrist and glance at his wrist band.

"I don't think he's feeling well; he still has a slight fever," he quickly told the others and asked Harry, 'Shall I put you back to bed?'

"No, I'm fine," Harry quickly replied and hissed to Lucky, "I'm sorry that I cannot take you to the table with me."

'That's all right, Harry. Just let me go, and I'll have a look at the surroundings. Don't worry; I'm going to find you afterwards; moreover you'll be able to mind talk with me at any time,' Lucky told him and slithered away.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry felt himself being pulled to the table and ushered to the seat next to Minerva, while Severus sat down at his other side. Noticing that Minerva, Severus, and Poppy were watching him worriedly, Harry tried his best to eat some of the delicious food on his plate. Finally, Minerva handed him her present, saying, "Harry, I know that you're already a big boy. However, seeing you cuddling with your 'Hogwarts: A History' book, I thought you might need something like this."

Harry carefully unwrapped the present, finding a white teddy bear in it that was really soft and fluffy. "If you tap it with your wand and say a colour, it will change its colour," Minerva instructed him, causing Harry to carefully point his wand at the toy, mumbling 'light blue'.

The teddy bear immediately changed its colour to blue. "That's brilliant. Thanks a lot!" Harry thanked the teacher profoundly. '_That'll be much better than to cuddle with a book when I'm sick and sore after getting the ear salve applied_,' he thought happily.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Suddenly, Harry became very quiet, and Minerva and Poppy eyed the boy in concern, wondering if they had to put him back to bed. On the other hand, none of them wanted to ruin what seemed to be his first real Christmas. 'What's wrong, Harry? Are you feeling worse?' Severus finally asked.

"No, I'm all right," Harry replied thoughtfully. "I just didn't know about Christmas. I thought that only Father Christmas brought presents for children, but I didn't know that people also give presents to each other. My friends gave me presents..." He pointed to the chocolate frogs he had received from Ken and the book from Julia, "... and I didn't give them anything. Nor did I give anything to anyone here. I just really feel bad about that."

'Ah, that I can understand well, although I'm sure that your friends won't mind and that they will understand if you speak with them or write them a letter. And you don't have to give any of us anything. However, if you want, we could brew something for your friends, for example chocolate drops with sparkling cream filling inside. How's that?'

Harry's face lightened immensely. "Can we really do that?"

'Yes, we can do that. It's not very difficult, and it will only take about half an hour to brew. However,' he glanced at Harry's wrist band, 'seeing that you have a fever right now I want you to take a nap first.' He quickly explained to his colleagues what they had planned, and Minerva gave Harry an encouraging smile, before Severus accompanied Harry to his room, helping him to carry all of his presents, and gave him another spoon full of the fever reducer. Harry was asleep within seconds, cuddling his blue teddy bear close.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Two hours later, Harry woke up when he felt Lucky slither over his stomach. "Oh Lucky, that feels tickly; don't wake me up like that," he hissed, chuckling.

'Are you up to brewing chocolate drops for your friends?" Severus asked, and Harry hurriedly followed the teacher into his private lab. Knowing that the child was very adept at brewing, he laid out the recipe for him and busied himself at a different cauldron.

Harry gave the teacher an astonished look but began to prepare the ingredients and started with the potion. Only once, Severus, who was watching the child closely, had to remind him to stir counter-clockwise, and thirty minutes later, a flawlessly brewed potion was simmering in Harry's cauldron. 'Now you just have to fill the potion in these moulds,' Severus explained patiently, watching Harry happily complete the presents for his friends.

When everything was finished, Severus and Harry sat in the living room for tea, so that Harry could write letters to his friends, which he wanted to send along with the chocolates. 'You may use my falcon, Aristotle, if you wish. He is faster than the normal school owls,' the teacher offered, and Harry gratefully accepted, glad to know that his friends would at least receive his presents on Christmas day, even if it would be around dinner time.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During the rest of the holidays, Harry's condition improved, and he was completely fine when school started again at the beginning of January. Since Harry had been grounded over the holidays, he had spent the whole week either in his own room studying or in the potions lab brewing potions together with Severus. At the beginning of January, finally the students were going to return, and Harry just couldn't wait to meet his friends.

"Harry, are you up to accompanying me to the station in Hogsmeade?" Severus suggested, recalling that Poppy had scolded Minerva the day before after noticing how pale Harry was due to the lack of fresh air.

"I'd like that very much, but am I allowed to go? Am I not grounded anymore?"

"Since the students are coming back today, I believe that the holidays are over," Severus replied slowly, watching the boy carefully in order to assess if he could understand.

"Harry, I missed you so much!" Julia shouted, pulling him in a bear hug, when Harry was waiting next to Severus on the platform.

"Harry! Is that a snake? Wow, cool!" Ken exclaimed, seeing Lucky's head coming out from under Harry's sleeve.

"Yes, I received it for Christmas. May I introduce Lucky, my familiar," Harry replied, proudly showing Lucky to his friends.

"Why exactly is her name Lucky?" Ken enquired, frowning.

"Ah, that's a long story, which I will tell you in the near future," Harry promised and let out a happy sigh. "I'm so glad that you're back; I missed you so badly, especially as I was grounded the whole time. Thanks for your letters by the way."

"Thank you too, Harry; in fact, I missed you two as well," Julia replied, while Ken nodded eagerly.

"Where are we going to spend the evening?" Harry asked when they reached the Great Hall.

"Can we go to your room, Harry? I've something important to discuss with the two of you," Ken spoke up, giving them a pleading look.

"Sorry, I didn't get that now, but I'm in, where ever you want to go. Just take me with you after dinner," Harry replied, glancing uncertainly at Julia.

"Of course, Ken," the girl replied and pulled Harry over to the Gryffindor table.

* * *

_Sorry for the delay, and thanks for all your kind reviews!_

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

After dinner, the three friends met in Harry's room. '_I hope they'll speak really slowly_,' Harry thought, feeling very tired, probably from walking to Hogsmeade and back being outside the castle for the first time in at least three weeks.

The three friends made themselves comfortable on Harry's bed, and Ken pulled a parchment out of his robe pocket, which he handed Harry and Julia, so that they could read together.

'_I failed my Potions test. Professor Snape Floo-called me and told me that I had to ask someone to tutor me in Potions, so that I won't fail the end of year test. He said if I wasn't in Slytherin, he wouldn't care but since I was in Slytherin I had to get along in Potions as well as possible_.'

Harry gave him an astonished look. "You failed the test?" he asked incredulously.

"Did he say who should tutor you?" Julia enquired quietly.

"No. That's why I thought perhaps Harry could teach me Potions. Harry, what do you think?"

Harry listened intensely, but he was too tired. "Sorry Ken, did I understand that correctly? You want me learn Potions together with you?"

Julia sighed. "Harry, are you feeling all right? You aren't getting sick, are you?" She carefully felt his forehead, but shook her head. "No, at least you don't have a fever."

In the meantime, Ken had written for Harry, '_Harry, I'd like to ask you to teach me Potions. You're good enough to teach me_.'

Harry frowned. "Sorry to be such a burden," he apologized quietly, causing Julia to pull him into a light embrace.

"You.are.not.a.burden. Harry! Why do you say that?" She gave him a worried look.

"I'll tell you another time. Ken, you have to ask Professor Snape, if it'll be okay if I taught you. Or wait, I can try to ask him."

He tried to focus on Severus and thought, 'Severus, can you hear me?'

'Of course, Harry, is something wrong?' the teacher answered immediately.

Harry sighed in relief. "Please wait; I'm talking to him." He concentrated again and thought, 'Ken told me about his Potions test and that he has to find someone to tutor him. And he doesn't know whom to ask,' he finished tentatively.

'He doesn't know whom to ask and told you to enquire whom to ask?' Severus questioned him amused.

'No, in fact he asked me if I could teach him, but you know that I'm not good enough to teach others, and I'm only a first year just like Ken,' he replied hesitantly.

'Of course you are good enough to teach him, and frankly speaking I had hoped he would ask you,' the teacher replied, still sounding amused.

'Really?'

'Do you believe I would joke with something like that?'

'Ah, no, okay, thanks,' Harry returned and turned back to his friends.

"All right; he said it was okay if I taught you. Let's talk to him tomorrow after Potions and ask when we can use the Potions classroom," Harry suggested.

"May I join you?" Julia asked, slightly feeling left out.

"Of course, let's brew all together," Harry replied eagerly.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Suddenly, Poppy entered the room, followed by Minerva. "I believe it's time to head back to your common rooms," Minerva addressed the students.

"Can't we stay with Harry?" Julia asked, giving the teacher a pleading look. "I promise that we won't speak a word; we will just sit with him quietly."

"Harry, do you want your friends to stay with you?" Minerva asked softly, turning to Harry.

"It's nice of you to offer to stay, but I'm so tired tonight that I just want to sleep," Harry replied, hardly able to keep his eyes open.

"All right Harry, good night," Julia said immediately, pulling Harry into a light embrace once more before she turned to Minerva and told her that Harry had been extremely tired and hardly able to listen to them the whole evening.

"Thanks for your help, Harry. Good night," Ken told him and left the room together with Julia.

"Have you checked on the child, Poppy? Is something wrong with him?" Minerva asked in concern, while Harry had gone to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

"I checked on him, but he seems to be all right. His temperature was 36.5, completely normal. We can give him the ear salve tonight."

"Harry, are you feeling well?" Minerva asked simply, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"Yes, I'm only very tired and have difficulties to understand what people say, I mean more than usual," Harry explained.

"If it's too strenuous for you to attend classes tomorrow, Harry, you don't have to," Minerva replied softly. "Do you understand me?"

"I don't have to go to class tomorrow?" Harry enquired. Seeing that Minerva and Poppy gave him comforting nods, he replied, "I think that it's just because I'm tired, but if I have problems tomorrow, I'll tell one of you and rest."

"Are you ready, Harry?" Poppy asked.

"Yes," Harry replied, lying down properly. He felt very comforted when Minerva grabbed his hand, so that he could squeeze hers when the pain hit his ear. He gave the teacher a grateful look that turned into a painful frown as soon as the healing salve spread in his ear. Only a short time later, Minerva felt how the power with that Harry was gripping her hand receded to a light touch and his breathing evened out.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During the next two days Harry remained tired and had difficulties following his classes, so that neither his teachers nor his friends were surprised when he came down with a cold on the third day of classes. He woke up in the middle of the night, feeling absolutely horrible. His throat and his ears were sore, and he felt hot and cold at the same time like he always did when he was sick. '_What am I going to do?_' he thought, unable to fall asleep again with his chattering teeth. Suddenly, he remembered something and tentatively thought to Severus, 'Severus, are you awake?'

'No, I was asleep, child, what's wrong?' the teacher answered a few seconds later.

'I'm ill,' Harry thought back miserably, sighing in relief when Severus strode into his room only seconds later.

'Your usual throat and ear infection,' Severus diagnosed after waving his wand over the child, and stuck a thermometer into his mouth, before he fetched two potions from a shelf in Harry's room, where Poppy had placed a few of the potions Harry needed frequently.

"I'm sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night," Harry spoke up as soon as the teacher took the thermometer back.

'It was good that you called me, Harry. You have a high fever, 39.2, and I need you to swallow two potions.' When Harry complied, he put a cool cloth on the child's forehead and told the child to go to sleep again. 'I'm going to stay with you,' he reassured the boy and made himself comfortable in one of the chairs next to the bed. Only when he took the boys temperature again two hours later, seeing that it had come down a degree, he extended Harry's bed and lay down beside the peacefully sleeping boy for a nap until the morning.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Due to the fact that Severus had been able to help Harry so quickly, he only had to miss one day of classes. Nevertheless, Harry became very busy during the next weeks. He had to attend his normal classes; he had to make up for the classes he missed every week since he still became ill once a week, and he spent three evenings a week teaching Ken and Julia Potions. Moreover, his curfew started thirty minutes earlier than that of the other students since he had to get his ear salve applied every evening.

On top of everything, Poppy one day suggested that they should apply the ear salve twice a day instead of once, and the teachers agreed that Harry should come to his room straight after a quick lunch each day, so that Poppy could apply the ear salve and Harry could use the rest of the lunch break to rest. Like in the evening, Minerva stayed at his side watching over him until the start of the afternoon classes.

Harry didn't like that solution at all; however, he could understand that the ear salve would help him to get better the more often it was applied.

One day, Minerva was sitting with Harry during lunch break, quietly holding his hand, while she was grading homework at the same time. Suddenly, she noticed that Harry's hand felt strangely warm and gave the child a confused look. The boy looked extremely ill, his cheeks were flushed, sweat was dripping from his temples, and he was shivering vehemently. She quickly conjured a cool cloth and placed it on his forehead, before she stuck the thermometer under his armpit, not wanting to bother the child by ordering him to open his mouth. "41.4," she gasped and hurried over to the hospital wing shouting for Poppy before she returned to Harry's side, noticing that the child was moaning silently.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Call Severus!" Poppy instructed Minerva, raising her wand at Harry and checked thoroughly on him, before she took a few drops of his blood in a phial. "Ask him what's wrong," she told Severus, handing him the phial. "And then I need you to check this."

'Harry, what's wrong? Are you in pain?' Severus thought to the child softly.

"It hurts!" Harry blurted out.

'What hurts, Harry? Tell me as exactly as you can.'

"Everything."

Suddenly, two students entered the room, obviously Harry's friends since they were the only ones that had free access to the room. However, they were wearing parrot heads, and the one with the Gryffindor robes asked in a very high voice, "Is Harry all right? They obviously put something into our food or drinks, because everyone we met has a parrot head."

The teachers gave the girl a horrified look. "No, Harry is not okay, but your information probably helped us a lot, didn't it, Severus?" Minerva replied crisply.

"Yes, apparently, his body tries to transform but some of the ingredients contained in his ear salve is preventing it, causing his body to react with a high fever," Severus explained thoughtfully, before he turned to the students. Miss White, please fetch the Weasley twins, Mr. Brighton, please attach a note to the Potions classroom that the first afternoon lesson is cancelled."

"May we keep Harry company?" Julia asked, turning to Minerva on her way out of the room.

"Yes, you may both stay with him. You're exempt from your afternoon classes," Minerva replied relieved, knowing that Harry's two friends were very responsible.

Ten minutes later, Julia returned with Fred and George, who didn't wear parrot heads but very white faces. "Is he all right?" they asked at the same time, looking at Harry in concern.

"We do not know that yet. Did you brew the potion by yourselves? I need the exact ingredients including the amount of everything you put into it," Severus hissed angrily.

"Yes, sir," they both replied at once.

Severus motioned them to follow him. "You will come and assist me to find the problem and make an antidote. If you're so adept at potions that you're able to brew such a transformation potion in your second year, you will use your abilities more reasonably. Moreover, you will serve detention with me every evening after dinner until the end of the school year." He turned to his colleagues, "I will be in my lab." To Harry he thought, 'I will go and brew the antidote for you, Harry, hold on for a moment. If you need me, just think to me. Your friends will stay here with you.'

"Thanks, Sev..." Harry mumbled, his face still scrunched in pain.

"Severus, do you have an idea what the problem is?" Poppy asked firmly. "Can I give him anything against the pain or the fever?"

"No!" Severus replied, glaring at the healer. "You may not give him anything. As soon as I know that it is safe to give him anything, I will tell you. So far, you can only put a sleeping spell on him; any potion could harm him now."

Poppy nodded and slid a wrist band over Harry's left hand, before she waved her wand, causing him to fall asleep immediately.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry woke up when Severus' voice penetrated his thoughts. 'Wake up, Harry, you should feel better now.'

Harry lazily opened his eyes, seeing that his friends were sitting on both edges of his bed, gripping his hands, while Poppy and Severus were standing next to his bed, looking at him piercingly. "Yes, I feel much better," Harry replied, trying to give them a small smile, although he still had a headache.

'Are you still in pain?' Severus enquired.

"My head still hurts a bit," Harry admitted, glancing up to the teacher.

'That's because you still have a bit of a fever, but we cannot give you any more potions at the moment. Try to go back to sleep, and you'll be fine later on,' Severus told him calmingly.

"Okay, thanks," Harry replied, already closing his eyes. When he woke up the next time, he felt fine but outright refused to go to the Great Hall for dinner, and Minerva grudgingly allowed Harry, Julia, and Ken to have dinner in Harry's room.

Later in the evening, when the three friends were quietly sitting around the table doing their homework, there was a knock at the door, and the Weasley twins hesitantly entered the room.

"Harry, we're sorry..."

"We really didn't want to..."

"Hurt you at all," they spoke in turns causing Harry to let out an exasperated sigh.

"If you want to tell me something, then please talk together or decide on who talks, otherwise I can't understand," he replied in a small voice.

"We are sorry. We really did not want to hurt you," both twins repeated in a slow and clear voice, handing Harry a huge bag with assorted sweets.

"You don't think that Harry would put anything in his mouth that came from you?!" Ken hissed immediately, giving them a menacing glare that would have made Severus proud.

"Professor Snape watched us like a hawk. He even made us eat one of each sort," the twins replied together.

"Thank you very much," Harry spoke up. "However, that was not necessary. What you did was just a funny prank, and you couldn't know that it would harm me." He held the bag out for the twins to take it back, but both of them refused vehemently. "All right," Harry said thoughtfully, glancing at his alarm clock. "We still have a bit of time. Shall we go to the Gryffindor common room and share with the others? Fred and George, you can give it to everyone in order to apologize to them for turning their heads into parrot heads. They suffered more than I."

Everyone agreed and spent the rest of the evening at an instant party in the Gryffindor common room.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

From now on, every time Harry, Julia, and Ken spent the evening in the Potions classroom, the Weasley twins were there as well serving detention and the trio soon became good friends with the two older boys, who were really funny. They had to clean up everything in the Potions classroom each night, and when they were finished, they were allowed to brew Potions, until Severus dismissed them right in time before curfew. Therefore, the five friends even sometimes brewed funny Potions the twins had invented together. Knowing how adept the twins were at brewing, Severus even asked them to tutor Ken each time Harry was sick and couldn't teach his friends.

'Ken has improved a lot, don't you think so?' Harry once thought to his guardian, while he was stirring his potion during the Potions class, slowly counting up to eighty-six.

'Be careful, Harry, and concentrate. Only one stir too much or too less will render the potion useless,' the professor admonished him sternly.

'Don't worry, I'm counting,' Harry replied without looking up from the orange potion that was slowly turning yellow.

'If Mr. Brighton continues to improve like that, he'll receive an 'O' in his end of year test,' Severus answered as soon as he saw that Harry put the potion off to cool down and sat back in his chair. 'Well done, Harry,' he commended the child, feeling very proud of his ward, who did so well in his class in spite of his ear problems.

'Thanks,' Harry replied and gave his guardian a genuine smile, watching how the edges of his mouth pulled up slightly. Knowing that this was the best he could get out of the man, especially during class, Harry felt very happy.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

One day, however, when Julia and Ken were staying with Harry during lunchtime after Poppy had applied his ear salve, they suddenly noticed that Harry was crying silently. "Do you have any idea what can be wrong?" Julia whispered to Ken, who only shook his head.

"Harry, are you feeling sick?" Julia asked aloud and even if Harry slightly shook his head, she carefully felt his forehead, assessing that his skin felt normal.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Ken enquired, causing his friend to give him a sad look.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"It's just... the school year is nearly over," Harry sobbed. "Do you remember what's going to happen? I'll go back to first year once more together with the new first years. Do you think we can stay friends even if we're in different classes?" he asked anxiously.

Ken shook his head, completely surprised by Harry's thoughts. "Of course we can stay friends. We're friends with the Weasley twins too, aren't we, although they are a year ahead. And if we managed to stay close friends in spite of being in different houses, we will manage to remain friends if we're in different classes too."

"Of course, Harry," Julia said simply, aware of the fact that Harry probably hadn't understood anything of Ken's speaking.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry didn't speak about that topic again, neither to his friends, nor to his guardians or anyone else. However, during the next week, he couldn't help thinking about the matter all day long, and even during the night, he couldn't sleep well. Nevertheless, he tried to keep a happy expression on his face, so that his friends thought he had overcome his fears in the meantime. Minerva, Severus, and Poppy became very worried, seeing that he always seemed to be tired, hardly wanted to eat anything, and didn't even try to hear and understand as well as he normally did.

One day, Minerva tried to speak with Harry when she was sitting with him waiting for the after effects of the ear salve to wear off. "Harry, are you having any problems? What is wrong with you? You know that you can speak to us about anything, don't you?"

Too sore and tired to listen properly, although he somehow knew what his guardian had asked, Harry only pulled Minerva's hand close and leaned into her touch, not noticing that she was watching him in concern.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

A few days later however, Harry woke up in the middle of the night after watching another nightmare of being in a class together with children like Dudley, who chased him around the classroom, teasing him because of being a freak, who couldn't even hear properly. His head hurt very much, he was feeling hot and cold at the same time, and he couldn't hold back the tears that began to stream down his cheeks.

Like in a trance, Harry scrambled out of his bed and walked over into Minerva's quarters, his teddy bear safely tucked under his arm. He carefully touched his guardian's shoulder, whispering, "Minerva?"

The teacher woke up with a jolt. When she saw a shivering and crying Harry standing beside her bed, she shifted a bit to the side and patted her hand onto the free space next to her, inviting Harry to climb up and lie down next to her. She adjusted the bed covers, so that Harry wouldn't get cold during the rest of the night and carefully put an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.

"You're very warm, sweetie, are you ill?" she asked in concern, giving Harry a piercing look. However, with only one small candle near the window sill it was too dark to get a good look at his face. "What's wrong, Harry?" she repeated very slowly and in a loud voice.

"I don't want to become a freak again," Harry suddenly blurted out. "I never had friends before, and now I have really nice class mates and the best friends I could ever have, and I don't want to lose them."

Minerva gave Harry a horrified look. "Why would you lose your friends? Please, tell me what is wrong, sweetie."

Harry nearly fell off the bed startled and shivered vehemently when he suddenly felt a cold hand on his forehead, since he couldn't hear Minerva's mumbling, "Maybe he has a fever and is delirious."

"I have to go back a year and start Hogwarts all over again, don't I?" Harry blurted out, still shivering.

"Oh Harry, is that your problem?" Minerva asked, relieved to finally be able to understand what had been bothering the child all the time. "Tomorrow, I will speak with the other teachers, but your marks are so good that I can't imagine that anyone would want you to become a first year again."

"Sorry?" Harry asked. "I didn't understand; I have a splitting headache and can hardly hear anything."

Minerva sat up and turned on the lights with a flick of her wand. She summoned parchment and a quill and quickly wrote what she had just tried to tell him, only adding, 'Don't worry, sweetie; everything will be all right.'

"Really?" Harry asked anxiously, sighing in relief when Minerva gave him a calming nod.

'Harry, are you feeling ill? You seem very hot,' Minerva wrote on the parchment.

"Only my head hurts a bit, but it's not bad," Harry replied, nestling deeper into the covers.

Minerva looked at him in concern and wrote, 'Wait a moment, I'll get you a potion.' She walked into Harry's room, quickly lacing a headache potion with a sip of a sleeping draught, grabbed a fever reducing potion and the thermometer and returned into her bedroom. She made Harry sit up and drink the laced headache potion before she helped the child lie down again and watched relieved as he fell asleep within seconds. Back in bed herself, she carefully stuck the thermometer under his armpit, horrified when she looked at the display to see that he had a very high fever. After casting a time spell and seeing that it was three o'clock in the morning, she decided not to wake Poppy up but spelled the fever reducing potion into the child's stomach and conjured a cool cloth for his forehead.

Fortunately, the next day was a Sunday, and Minerva spent a lot of time cuddling with Harry, who was still in her bed. In the morning, she quickly Floo-called Albus, asking him to arrange an urgent staff meeting, before she called Poppy to check on Harry. Afterwards, she paid Severus a short visit and told him to ask Julia if she could stay with Harry while she was attending the staff meeting.

After the teachers' meeting in the early afternoon, Severus accompanied Minerva to her room in order to tell Harry the good news that he would be allowed to attend second year together with his friends from September onwards. Harry was over the moon with joy, and on Monday morning, he was well enough to attend classes.

During the next weeks, Harry's friends and his guardians noticed with relief that the boy was back to his usual cheerful self.

HP HEALER POMFREY

One Saturday morning, Harry was just eating breakfast with Julia and the Weasley twins at the Gryffindor table, when Severus thought to him from the head table, 'Harry, I'd like to ask you something. Would you be willing to play Seeker for Slytherin in the match against Ravenclaw today? One of the Beaters has fallen ill, and since you cannot play Beater because you're too small, the Seeker has agreed to play Beater instead, so that you could play Seeker for them. What do you think?'

Harry threw an enthusiastic look at the head table. 'Really?' he thought back excitedly. 'Of course I want to play.'

'You know that you have to be very careful, child,' Severus replied in concern.

'I know that and I will be careful,' Harry promised, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hear anything up in the air.

"Harry, what happened?" Julia enquired. "You suddenly look incredibly happy."

"I'm going to play Seeker for Slytherin today," Harry blurted out cheerfully, smiling when the Weasley twins, who were sitting on both sides of him, began to pat him on the back. 'Apparently they don't mind that I play for Slytherin,' he thought happily, watching the students around him congratulate him.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

An hour later, Harry was circling over the Quidditch pitch, feverishly looking for the Snitch. Once, he nearly managed to catch the small ball, but then Severus had mind thought to him, 'beware of the Bludger,' knowing that in contrary to the other players, Harry was not able to hear the Bludger coming. Harry had changed the direction to get out of the Bludger's way in time, and then the Snitch was long gone. Now, it was already two hours into the play, and Harry was getting tired, especially as it was an extremely hot day, considering that it was only the end of May. '_Anyway, I have to catch the Snitch in order for Slytherin to win the Quidditch cup over Ravenclaw_,' he thought, determinedly continuing his search.

Finally, after nearly three hours of flying, Harry closed his hand around the small ball, sighing in relief, when suddenly his guardian's voice penetrated his mind, 'Harry, be careful, a Bludger!' Harry lazily turned around, and his eyes widened horrified.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 **

A Bludger was heading straight towards him. In lack of any other idea, Harry let himself sink down on his broom in a free fall for a few meters, efficiently avoiding the hard ball. '_All right, now I have to fly again_,' Harry thought, feverishly trying to make his broom move forward again in spite of the sharp pain that shot through his ears. However, as soon as he started to fly, Harry felt completely dizzy and wasn't able to hold himself upright on the broom. Fortunately, the other players noticed that he seemed to have problems, and the Ravenclaw and Slytherin Quidditch captains were on his both sides within seconds in order to help him return to the ground safely.

"50 points to Ravenclaw and 50 points to Slytherin," Minerva commended the two Quidditch captains, while Severus took Harry into his arms and carried him over to the teachers' seats.

'What's wrong Harry?' he asked, making him sit down.

"I don't know; I suddenly feel completely dizzy, and my ears hurt a lot," Harry replied miserably, trying to lie down in his seat.

"Severus, can you carry him to bed please," Poppy ordered his guardian, and Harry sighed in relief, when Severus scooped him up again and told him calmingly, 'Close your eyes and relax, Harry, I'll put you to bed so that Poppy can make you feel better.'

A few minutes later, Poppy was thoroughly examining the child before she sighed and explained to Severus and Minerva, "It's a disturbance of equilibrium due to his ear problems that was provoked by his fall. The effects are probably similar to the after effects of his ear salve, causing him to be in pain and feel dizzy. I can give him a potion that will make him get well faster; however, I suspect that he'll have to stay in bed at least overnight if not for a day." She let out a sigh.

"That wasn't all Poppy, was it?" Minerva enquired, giving her friend a concerned look.

"So far, he didn't have balance problems in spite of his ear problems; however the fact that he got this problem now means that it can re-occur any time. Therefore, I'm not sure if it is safe enough for him to fly anymore," Poppy explained thoughtfully, before she returned to the hospital wing to retrieve a potion for Harry.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry was lying in his bed with his eyes closed, cuddling his teddy bear in his left arm, gripping Minerva's hand with his right hand. Severus had told him before that he was needed in the Slytherin common room and had left. Suddenly, Harry felt a different presence in his mind, or at least it was someone else's thoughts that suddenly penetrated his mind. 'The poor child; I wished there was something I could do for him. Let's just hope that he won't get sick over this.'

'_Who's talking to me now? That's strange_,' Harry mused, unconsciously rubbing his aching forehead. '_The voice wasn't even talking to me but about me_,' he wondered. '_Could that have been Minerva's thoughts?_'

Suddenly, he noticed someone else's presence in the room and hesitantly opened his eyes, seeing Julia and Ken sitting down on the chairs next to his bed. "Hey, isn't there a party in the Slytherin common room? I managed to catch the Snitch, didn't I?" he asked astonished, just to feel overwhelmed with other people's thoughts.

'How could we enjoy the party knowing that he's sick?'

'Typically Harry – always thinking of other's first.'

'Ah, he's such a sweetie; I hope he'll get well soon.'

'_That are their thoughts_,' Harry realised, horrified, once more rubbing his forehead, noticing that his headache was becoming unbearable.

He hesitantly cleared his throat and said pleadingly, "Please, listen to me and try not to think anything. I don't know why, but suddenly I can hear all of your thoughts; well, at least all thoughts concerning me; and it's confusing and it gives me a headache."

"I believe under these circumstances it would be better if you joined your party for the moment. Could you please send Professor Snape over if you see him?" Minerva turned to his friends.

"Yes of course," Julia replied.

Ken gave his best friend a sad look. "May we come again later tonight?"

"Of course Ken, I hope it'll go away again," Harry replied anxiously, again feeling his friends' thoughts towards him.

"It might be that you have certain empathic abilities, which only occurred now at the same time as your balance problem," Minerva spoke slowly to Harry after she had made him drink a headache potion, which Harry appreciated greatly. "Maybe Severus knows more about these things; can you try to reach him and ask if he can come here?"

Harry concentrated on Severus and thought, 'Severus, where are you? Could you come here for a moment?'

The reply came instantly. 'I'm sorry; I had to accompany the Slytherin Quidditch team to Hogsmeade, but we're already back on the grounds, and I'll be there in five minutes.'

A short while later, Severus entered the room, carrying a huge bag from Honeydukes, which he placed on Harry's night table. 'This is from all Slytherin students for you as a thank you for helping them win the Quidditch cup,' he explained softly, noticing how a wide smile spread over Harry's face.

"Please tell them 'thanks' for me, Severus," Harry replied, feeling incredibly happy by the nice gesture.

"Severus, Harry has a problem," Minerva spoke up, telling Severus about his empathic dilemma.

"Yes, I believe that your assumption is correct, Minerva. Children with disabilities often develop rare abilities that help them cover their problems. If Harry was always able to feel your thoughts, for example, you'd be able to mind talk to him too. However, I believe that this empathic ability can be a huge burden for Harry if he's not able to control it. Therefore, I will teach him Occlumency during the holidays." Knowing that his monologue had been too long and too fast for Harry to understand, especially since his ears were sore, he quickly mind thought the content to Harry, who gave him a relieved look.

"Thanks; I really appreciate it and promise to try to learn as fast as possible. It's horrible to feel others' thoughts."

'We should try if we'll be able to communicate this way however,' Minerva thought, glancing at Harry. 'Can you hear me, Harry?'

"Yes, I could hear that," Harry replied happily. "If I learn to control it, it could be quite convenient."

"It might take some time because it's not easy, but we'll have lots of time during the summer holidays," Severus said soothingly, before he asked, "Harry, can you try to sit up, or do you still feel too dizzy? It's time for dinner, and you should try to eat something."

"I'm not hungry," Harry mumbled but tried to sit up nevertheless, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him. He quickly lay down again, closing his eyes.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

On Monday morning, Harry finally felt better, although his ears were still sore, and Poppy grudgingly allowed him to attend classes. However, Harry noticed soon that he had problems to hear and that he heard all the other students' thoughts about him in his mind. '_At least I don't hear any other thoughts; that would unbearable_,' he thought in relief. However, he didn't feel well and knowing that if he had even problems to understand Minerva, he wouldn't understand a word of Professor Flitwick's talking, he quickly told his friends that he was going to miss the Charms class and stepped over to Minerva as soon as she dismissed the students.

"I'm not feeling well and I've problems to hear," he told his guardian. "May I go back to bed, please?"

Minerva gave him a concerned look, knowing that it was very rare for Harry to willingly miss a class, and thought to him, 'You better go back to bed then, Harry. I will call Poppy and ask her to check on you.'

During the next three days, Poppy kept him in bed since he developed a fever and his ears were so infected that he wasn't able to hear anything, and even when he was allowed to get up on Thursday, his guardians suggested that he should better stay in his room and study for the tests that were going to start on Monday. Harry gladly complied and skipped all his classes on Thursday and Friday except for Potions, which he attended because he didn't want to miss the brewing practise. Moreover, he was confident that he would be able to brew without understanding a spoken word during the class.

HP HEALER POMFREY

Harry had the impression that he did very well on all his tests in spite of his continuous problems with the empathy that annoyed him immensely. On one hand, he was glad that the summer holidays were going to begin; on the other hand, he was sad that he wouldn't be able to see his friends over the next ten weeks.

"We'll send you an owl, Harry, and Professor McGonagall told us that she would talk to our parents and ask if we could visit you for a while during the holidays," Julia told him, seeing that Harry's face was missing its usual smile.

"Oh, that's good, I'd like that very much," Harry replied, trying not to flinch when the girl pulled him into a bear's hug before she boarded the train.

"Bye, Ken, I really hope you can come and visit me," he told his friend, waving his hand after the two first friends he ever had.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

'Let's head back and start with our Occlumency lessons, shall we?' Severus thought to Harry, pulling him out of his musings.

He gave the teacher a grateful smile and followed him back to the castle. They sat down comfortably in Severus' living room, and the man explained patiently how he should try to occlude his mind.

"I think I got it," Harry finally said, trying to push all thoughts away, and Severus entered his mind with the 'Legilimens' spell. Several memories began to play in front of Harry's mind, and Severus, who tried to be extremely carefully not to hurt the child, suddenly ended the spell, giving Harry a horrified look.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

'Harry, I'm sorry; it wasn't my intention to let you recall such bad memories. I promise that from now on I will only search for good memories,' Severus mind thought to the child, still terrified about the memories he had seen about Harry's childhood.

"It's all right, sir; it's not your fault that he made my ears hurt so much that I couldn't hear anymore," Harry replied quietly, once more recalling the memory. It was the first time that he had an ear infection, and the school nurse had phoned Petunia and ordered her to pick up Harry since he had a fever. Petunia had been outraged and had made Harry weed the garden despite it was cold and raining until Vernon came home, who shouted into his sore ears and threw him into the cupboard. From that time onwards, Harry had come down with ear infections every now and then.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Occlumency was a huge problem. Harry just wasn't able to occlude his mind. One day, Severus decided to take a different approach and tried to make him practise in the evening before he went to sleep. However, Harry was still suffering from the after effects of his ear salve and was feeling too dizzy to practise Occlumency. However, after a month of practising, Harry finally managed to keep his teacher out of his mind. Severus could only see a few scenes in his mind until he arrived at a picture of Lucky, who was slithering around a garden, and it took him quite a while to get behind the picture.

"Very well done, Harry," Severus commended the child. "I was only able to look behind your picture because I am an expert Legilimens; nobody else would be able to watch your thoughts, except for maybe the headmaster. However, if you occlude your mind like you just did, it should help you keep others' thoughts out."

"If I keep others' thoughts out, will I still be able to mind think with you?" Harry asked worried.

"No, probably not; you'll have to let your wards down for that," the teacher answered thoughtfully. "But that's a matter you can handle by yourself, and we will practise so much that you'll be able to occlude your mind in a blink without even thinking about it," he promised. "Moreover, we can try to practise making you willingly accept my thoughts, so that they can pass your wards. Until you'll be able to do that, you'll just have to keep your mind unoccluded if you want me to contact you telepathically."

"All right; can we go to lunch, and I'll test if I can keep the others' thoughts out?" Harry asked eagerly, jumping from one foot onto the other. "I'm hungry," he added as an afterthought.

"Well, it's time for dinner anyway. Let's go then," Severus replied, smirking at the child's enthusiasm.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

One day, Harry woke up with a slight cold. '_Again_,' he thought annoyed, knowing that it was only five days ago that he had been allowed out of bed after his last ear infection. Not wanting to be put into bed again, he tried hard to behave as normal as possible during breakfast in the Great Hall. Afterwards, he dragged himself through the halls, hurrying to follow Severus into his quarters. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to concentrate enough to efficiently practise Occlumency, he admitted to the teacher, "I think I have a cold. Could we perhaps brew Potions instead today?"

"All right, if you're sure that you feel well enough to brew Potions?" Severus enquired, raising an eyebrow at the child.

"Yes, it's all right, and if not I'll tell you, okay?" Harry gave back, making the man smile.

From the child's behaviour he knew that he was all right, at least at the moment, and questioned, "Did you think of something special to brew, or would you be willing to help with the healing potions I have to brew for the hospital wing?"

"Of course," Harry replied, noticing that his voice was getting a bit hoarse.

Two hours and a few batches of potions later, Severus ushered Harry to the sofa in the sitting room. 'Harry, let me just take your temperature to confirm that you don't have a fever, and then we'll head to the Great Hall for lunch,' he told the child telepathically, seeing that he seemed to be tired.

Feeling quite exhausted from brewing potions, Harry willingly opened his mouth, not caring about what happened. He tiredly leaned on to the man, who had sat down next to him on the sofa and instinctively pulled him close after sticking the thermometer under his tongue. 'It's all right, little one, relax,' he mind thought to the child, while they were waiting. '37.6,' he read from the display. 'Well, that's not too bad. I'll give you a spoon full of fever reducer, and then we'll head to Great Hall. All right, Harry?'

'I'm not hungry,' Harry thought back, feeling his throat too sore to speak aloud.

Severus motioned the boy to open up and stuck a spoon full of fever reducing potion into his mouth, watching how his eyes that had been slightly glazed over returned to their usual brightness. 'You know that you have to eat something, Harry,' he told the child softly. 'Today, the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher will join us for lunch. I don't know if he already moved in or if he is only here today, but I can imagine that you're eager to get to know him, aren't you?'

'Yes of course,' Harry replied, feeling slightly better now. 'Can we go through my room?'

'Yes, we will do that,' Severus gave back, who didn't intend to make the sick child climb up all the stairs from the dungeons in the first place.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Thirty minutes later, Harry was sitting between Severus and Minerva at the round table that was replacing the head table during the summer holidays. Poppy was the only other one present when the headmaster entered the Great Hall, the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher in tow. Albus introduced Professor Quirrel to them, who gave everyone a hand and greeted them except for Harry, who extended his own hand in vein. Harry also noticed that the man was stuttering as if he was very excited.

Harry tried hard to eat a few bites in spite of the pain it caused him to swallow. Suddenly however, he felt a sharp pain in his head and unconsciously reached with his hand to his scar.

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Poppy's voice penetrated his ears.

"He has a cold," Severus replied and explained something to the healer that Harry couldn't understand as a wave of concern from Minerva and Poppy infiltrated his mind.

Suddenly, he took in the thoughts of two other people. 'Look, that's the boy I told you about,' one person said.

'Of course, I know who Harry Potter is; he's famous because of defeating you,' the other person replied.

'Anyway, you have to kill him,' the first person told him impatiently.

Whenever the first person thought to the other, Harry again felt a sharp pain flash through his head.

"I don't feel so good; may I return to my room?" he asked hoarsely, turning to Severus. 'Can you come with me, please? I have to tell you something.'

Severus stood up immediately, giving Poppy and Minerva a menacing glare that told them not to contradict. "I need to take Harry back to his room, so that he can lie down. I'll talk to you later." He strode out the Hall, while Harry had to try hard to keep up with his fast pace. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Severus scooped Harry up in his arms and carried him through the empty halls.

Harry felt himself being lain down on his bed and sighed in relief. 'Severus, can you use Legilimency on me? I must show you something,' he asked, giving his guardian a pleading look.

'Of course,' Severus replied worried. 'Are you ready?'

'Yes,' Harry thought back, leaving the memory of the Great Hall in front of his thoughts.

When Severus pulled off Harry's thoughts, he had a very stern expression on his face. 'Harry, that was very valuable information. Voldemort is still alive as a spirit and is processing Quirrel's mind. Together with the headmaster I will find a way to fight him. You have to be very careful, and I'd like to ask you to stay here in our quarters for the time being. Don't be afraid, little one. One of us will always be with you all the time.'

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

A few minutes later, Minerva and Poppy entered the room. "Is Quirrel still with Albus?" Severus asked immediately, and Minerva shook his head.

"No, Severus. Quirrel is moving into his quarters, and Albus returned to his office. Why?"

"Wait a moment, both of you. I'm going to call Albus," Severus replied sternly and hurried to his fireplace, returning a few minutes later with the headmaster. Severus motioned Poppy and Albus to take a seat, while he sat down next to Minerva on the edge of Harry's bed and proceeded to tell them what Harry had found out.

When he finished his explanation, everyone remained silent for a few minutes until Albus suddenly began to laugh. "Very well; at dinner tonight we're going to vanquish him forever. I know what we're going to do."

"But isn't it Harry, who has to vanquish him? According to the prophecy?" Severus asked confused.

"Well, let me explain," the headmaster began, his eyes twinkling happily. "It was Harry, who was able to hear the truth today. He managed to hear the truth due to his power the Dark Lord knows not, which is his empathic ability. Moreover, we will need his empathic ability once more when he helps us to defeat him completely tonight."

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Albus, can you please explain that so that we'll all be able to understand what you mean?" Minerva asked sternly.

"I know a spell that can be used to destroy a spirit, which doesn't have a body. It's a very dark ancient spell. We will have to cast the spell all together; however, before we do that, we need Harry to tell us as soon as Voldemort takes over the body. Then we will cast a spell to force his spirit out of the body; otherwise we'll kill Quirrel and Voldemort will be alive having a body for himself."

Seeing that everyone was hanging on his lips, Albus continued, "Shall we go somewhere to practise the spell?"

"No, we have to practise here; I won't leave Harry alone," Minerva spoke up immediately.

"Does Harry have to cast the spell as well?" Severus asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure, but it would be better, just to be on the safe side," the headmaster replied pensively.

A series of sneezes pulled the teachers out of their conversation and made them look at Harry. Poppy immediately motioned Minerva and Severus away from his bed and waved her wand at the child. Pulling a phial out of her robe pocket, she thought to him, 'I will give you a pepper-up potion; let's see if that works or if you need something stronger.' She helped Harry sit up and held the potion to his lips, making him swallow painfully.

Harry lay back and relaxed immediately. "That's much better; thanks," he mumbled to Poppy, who proceeded to bathe his flushed face with a cool cloth. "Why don't you go and practise in Minerva's or Severus' quarters? I'm going to stay with Harry," she suggested, noticing that everyone was watching her and Harry.

"All right," Albus replied pensively. "I will call Filius Flitwick too. He can help us cast the spell. Poppy, do you deem Harry fit enough to help us tonight?"

"I think so, and I'm going to watch him closely during the afternoon, so that I can act immediately if I see that his condition worsens," the healer promised.

HP HEALER POMFREY

Fortunately, Harry's condition didn't worsen, and an hour before dinner, Harry was allowed to get up and join the teachers' practise. He anxiously sat down on his usual seat between Minerva and Severus at the dinner table, where everyone was already waiting for Professor Quirrel to arrive.

Finally, the new teacher entered the Great Hall, and Harry immediately concentrated on trying to hear the man's thoughts, even if they were not about him. As soon as the other teachers noticed their new colleague, Albus and Severus stunned him, so that he fell down to the floor with a thud.

'What happened? Don't tell me they have already found out about me. At least try to turn around, so that I can see them,' Harry could hear the other man's thoughts and quickly croaked, "Now!"

Immediately, all teachers and Harry raised their wands at the figure on the floor and cast the spell to force Voldemort's spirit out of Quirrel's body, noticing how a black cloud slowly emerged from the teacher's head. On Albus' sign, everyone cast the spell, which they had practised during the afternoon, and the black cloud was captured in a green bubble. Finally, they pointed their wands at the cloud and cast a scourgifying spell that made the bubble together with the cloud vanish in a blink.

As soon as the cloud vanished, Harry sensed that the pain in his scar that had been bothering him since lunchtime went away completely. He let himself sink back in his chair and relaxed as far as he could in spite of his still sore head, throat, and ears. Everyone except for Poppy and Albus, who went to check on the teacher on the floor, gave him concerned looks, and Minerva suddenly gasped, "Look at his scar! It's gone!"

Severus immediately rolled up the left sleeve of his robes and looked at his arm in awe. The dark mark that had still been faintly visible over all these years had completely vanished.

"Quirrel is unconscious, but otherwise he seems to be fine," Poppy informed the others.

Minerva gave Albus a huge smile. "Harry's scar and Severus' dark mark are gone," she stated, causing the healer to step over to Harry.

'How are you, sweetie?' she thought to the boy, who gave her a weary look and mumbled, "Tired and achy. May I go to bed?"

'You should try to eat a bit first,' Poppy told him sternly, waving her wand over the child at the same time. A few minutes later she gave up, seeing that Harry was only pushing his food around, and accompanied Harry to his room, where she fed him a few potions that caused him to sleep until lunchtime the next day.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When Harry woke up, he felt much better. He lazily opened his eyes seeing that he was alone in his room. '_What time is it?_' he thought confused and threw a glance on his alarm clock. '_1:20 p.m., that's the middle of the day; how could I sleep so long?_' he mused and quickly got out of bed, heading for Severus' bathroom to wash his face and use the toilet. Twenty minutes later, he was properly dressed and headed back into Severus' quarters to look for the teacher. However, both Severus' and Minerva's quarters were deserted. '_Maybe everyone is just having lunch_,' Harry thought. However, he wasn't hungry and didn't want to take the risk that they would make him eat too, so he decided to contact Severus.

'Severus, where are you?' he telepathically called out to his guardian.

'Harry, good that you're awake,' the teacher's reply came immediately, and Harry sat down on the chair in front of his desk and relaxed.

'Harry, we're having a press conference about the final demise of Voldemort. Do you want to join? However, let me warn you that everyone will fawn about you, since you're the hero of the magical world. If you didn't want that, you'd better stay in your room and not let anyone know that you're awake.'

'It's all right, I don't want to join,' Harry gave back relieved and decided to begin with his summer assignments. '_What shall I do first, Potions or Transfiguration_?' he mused and finally decided to write his Potions essay first. '_The interactions between wormwood, moon fern, and asphodel in healing potions in dependence to the adding method_,' he read. '_How am I supposed to know that?_' he thought after searching all over his first year Potions book. '_Are we supposed to do research on the topic? But how will the students, who are at home maybe even with Muggle parents, be able to do research?_' he wondered.

'Severus,' he hesitantly thought to the man. 'How do you expect your students to do their summer assignments if they only have their first year Potions book?'

'I expect them to buy the second year book and read through it before they do their assignment,' was the answer. 'Are you feeling well enough to do homework?'

'Well, I just wanted to start with my Potions assignment, and I already looked through my book but didn't find enough information to even get started,' Harry admitted.

'All right, Harry. If you go into my living room or my office, you'll be able to find lots of Potions books, and I'm sure you'll find the information you need there. You can either look through several books or just take the normal second year book. We will go to Diagon Alley and buy your own copy in a few days.'

'Thanks,' Harry replied relieved and made his way into the professor's living room, where he spent the rest of the afternoon totally engrossed in several Potions books, until Severus arrived to fetch him for dinner.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Harry, while you were asleep, we had a press conference. The Minister of Magic was here and awarded you the Order of Merlin, 1st class for revealing the truth and finally vanquishing Voldemort," the headmaster told Harry, when he sat down on his seat between Minerva and Severus.

"I? But I didn't do anything different from all of you," Harry replied confused. "We did all the spells together."

"We wouldn't even have known that Professor Quirrel was possessed," Minerva jumped into the conversation. "Moreover, we wouldn't have been able to assess the right timing to get Voldemort instead of Professor Quirrel. Fortunately, the minister didn't insist on talking to you directly, although he seemed very disappointed not to be able to meet you. However, Poppy told him that you were ill and not able to speak with anyone."

'Sorry, that was too fast,' Harry thought to Severus, who quickly repeated Minerva's sentence telepathically, causing Harry to turn to the healer. "Thanks, Poppy, I really appreciate it."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

A few days later, Harry once more slept until late in the morning and spent a few minutes searching for any of his guardians in vein. However, when he tried to contact Severus, he didn't receive a reply.

* * *

_The demise of Voldemort is not a main topic of this story. I just wanted to get him out of the way. I'm sorry if my solution was too simple and maybe disappointing for some of you, but I prefer to concentrate on other aspects in this story._

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

With an apprehensive feeling, Harry sat down at his desk and tried to concentrate on his summer assignments once more, wondering where everyone could be, and why he couldn't contact Severus. 'Have you seen anyone, Lucky?' he thought to his familiar, who only shook his head. Suddenly, the door to his room opened, and Minerva, Poppy, and Severus walked in, followed by his best friends Julia and Ken. Julia and Ken were carrying a magical cake, on which eleven candles lit automatically, when his visitors began to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song for a stunned Harry.

"Thank you," Harry spoke up, totally amazed, when they finished singing, and was pulled into slight hugs by Minerva, Julia, and Poppy. Overwhelmed by his friends' thoughts, Harry quickly occluded his mind, sighing in relief when he managed to keep their thoughts out.

A few minutes later, Minerva ushered them to the Great Hall for a late birthday breakfast, where Albus and Hagrid joined them as well. Hagrid pulled Harry in a bear's hug until Severus hissed, "Don't crush him."

"Ah, sorry Harry," Hagrid apologized. "You know, I'm a bit... Anyway, happy birthday Harry," he beamed, handing the boy a huge box with small holes in it. "You know, I talked to Professor Dumbledore, and he has approved of this. Normally, students are only allowed to have one familiar, but since you are mainly living at Hogwarts as a teachers' child, in your case it's different." He opened the box and pulled out a huge cage with a beautiful snowy owl inside. Taking back the empty box, he handed Harry the cage.

"Wow, he is beautiful," Harry breathed, completely amazed.

"She, Harry, it's a girl," Hagrid corrected him.

"Does she have a name?" Harry enquired.

"No, Harry, it's up to you to name her. You can take her out of the cage of course if you want."

Harry carefully opened the cage and held the back of his hand in front of the opening, and the owl immediately accepted the invitation, stepping on to his hand. "May I pet you?" Harry asked softly, receiving a short nod and a "shoo-hoo" from the owl. "I will call you 'Hedwig', would you like that name?"

Again the owl gave him a "shoo-hoo" and carefully nibbled his finger. "I guess that means you like it, Hedwig," Harry told her and put her onto his shoulder when he sat down at the breakfast table between Julia and Ken. For the rest of the day, he couldn't keep his eyes from the beautiful owl.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

His friends could spend a week in the castle. Since they couldn't use the houses during the summer holidays, Ken was allowed to stay in Harry's room, where Minerva conjured a second bed, while Julia spent the nights in Minerva's guest room. The three friends enjoyed being together after not seeing each other for more than a month, and they spent much time roaming the castle, discovering hidden passages around the castle and playing out on the grounds.

One day, the three friends were just playing catch ball outside when suddenly a thunderstorm started. Until they reached the entrance hall, they were already completely soaked, and since none of them had learned a drying spell yet, they hurried to get into the castle, knowing that Minerva or Severus could make them dry in a blink. However, Mr. Filch was just walking through the entrance hall when they stormed in without carefully wiping their feet in front of the door.

"You will clean that up NOW!" he bellowed, and the three children had to clean up their muddy footsteps the Muggle way, since they didn't know an adequate cleaning spell yet. "We should talk to Professor Flitwick," Harry groaned, when they were finally allowed to go to his room. "They should really teach useful spells to the first years."

By the time the three friends reached Harry's room and hesitantly stepped over into Minerva's quarters after taking off their dirty shoes, all three of them were sneezing and coughing. Minerva quickly dried them with a wave of her wand before she accompanied them to the hospital wing for a Pepper-up potion. Poppy made them rest and warm up with a hot cocoa for twenty minutes, before she released them, stating, "I doubt that Harry will get away with this."

The afternoon was spent in the Transfiguration classroom, where Minerva taught the children several useful spells and charms like a drying charm, a cleaning charm, or the scourgifying spell, which Harry already knew from the demise of Voldemort but hadn't known that it could be used to clean something up. When Minerva released them, telling them that they should use the rest of the day to rest and play, the three friends once more descended to the entrance hall, determined to give the caretaker a small payback. "Pity that McGonagall didn't teach us any spells or charms to do mischief," Ken spoke up thoughtfully.

Harry laughed. "For that you would want to go to the headmaster. He'd award house points for a good prank, while McGonagall would take points."

"Point taken," Julia replied. "Now, what are we going to do? He doesn't seem to be in his office. Shall we go in and see if we can make a mess?"

The boys agreed immediately, and the three students entered the office that was already quite a mess even without their doings. "Accio interesting things," Harry said waving his wand along the drawers on one side of the room, and a pile of parchments came from different drawers flying in his direction.

"Cool," Ken commended his friend and hurried to pick up the parchments from the floor before the three friends rushed back into Harry's room.

They spread the parchments over Harry's bed, looking amazed at the variety of documents they had collected. There were tables with students' data, lines that had obviously been written by students as punishments, and several other things.

Julia suddenly noticed that Harry had become very quiet. "Harry, are you feeling all right?" she asked concerned, taking in that his face seemed flushed.

Harry glanced at her with half open eyes. "I'm not sure," he replied slowly. "My head and my ears hurt."

"And your eyes are glassy," Julia added, turning to Ken. "Should we take him to Madam Pomfrey?"

"Let's see if he has a fever first," Ken replied and picked up the thermometer from Harry's night table. "Can you open your mouth please, Harry?" he asked.

"No, I can't breathe through my nose," Harry replied, sticking the thing under his armpit.

"Poor Harry," Julia said, pulling Harry close so that he could lean on to her. "Can you collect these parchments, please, so that Harry can lie down afterwards?" she asked Ken, who complied immediately.

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully, now feeling worse by the minute. "I hate it," he whispered, "Why do I always have to get sick?"

"38.8, Harry, you are really sick. Lie down and rest for a moment, I'm going to call Madam Pomfrey," Ken replied and left the room, while Julia helped Harry to lie down and tucked him in carefully.

A few minutes later, Poppy bustled into the room, waving her wand at Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry, our normal Pepper-up potion is obviously not strong enough for you. The light cold you had in the morning, turned into a throat and ear infection." She made Harry drink two potions and admonished his friends not to speak too much to him, before she left the room in the direction of Severus' quarters to discuss the options for a stronger Pepper-up potion for Harry with the Potions Master.

Due to the potions, Harry felt a lot better and brought himself into a half sitting position in order to see what his friends were looking at. Julia and Ken were sitting on both sides of Harry's bed, examining one parchment after the other of the pile that they had taken from Filch's office.

"Good that Madam Pomfrey didn't notice that we have a pile of strange parchments here," Harry croaked, grinning.

"She was only focused on you, Harry," Julia laughed.

"I don't think she likes Filch anyway, and it's obviously his fault that I'm ill now," Harry said angrily, ending up in a coughing fit.

"Now, careful, Harry," Julia reprimanded him, turning around the next parchment. "Hey, what's this?" she gasped, glancing delighted at the writing. "It says 'Minerva McGonagall, sixth year', and seems to be a detention work.

"Let me see," Harry demanded. "What does it say?"

"It says..." Julia began and mumbled something that Harry couldn't understand, before Julia and Ken burst out laughing.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"It says," Julia repeated, giggling, "_I may not kiss a teacher in public_."

"What?!" Harry gasped, grabbing the parchment out of her hands. "Minerva kissed a teacher? Perhaps Dumbledore?" he guessed.

"Well, that could be possible. I heard that he was the Transfiguration teacher, while she was attending Hogwarts," Ken agreed.

"I know what we're going to do," Harry laughed, coughing harshly. "We can ask Madam Pomfrey."

"Madam Pomfrey? But she's not so old; she certainly wasn't working here when McGonagall was a student," Ken answered.

"But I know that Minerva and Madam Pomfrey attended school together," Harry croaked. "They have been best friends from their first year onwards. Minerva told me that when she was sitting with me after Madam Pomfrey applied my ear salve."

Minerva chose exactly that moment to enter Harry's room. "It's time to head down to the Great Hall for dinner," she announced before she got a good look at the children, who were sitting in Harry's bed roaring with laughter, except for Harry, who was coughing harshly.

"Harry, are you all right?" she asked in concern.

"No Professor, he's ill," Julia informed the teacher. "We already called Madam Pomfrey, and she said he had a throat and ear infection again."

"I'm not hungry anyway," Harry croaked. "Go and eat dinner, Julia and Ken, I'll be all right."

"All right," Minerva agreed. "I will give you a nutrient potion later on."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Later in the evening, when Poppy came once more to check on Harry, Julia decided to ask her about Minerva's detention. "Madam Pomfrey, we'd like to ask you something," she began hesitantly.

"You know, it's Mr. Filch's fault that Harry is sick again," Ken continued. "And during the afternoon, we went into his office to give him a little payback."

Poppy raised an eyebrow, glancing from one to the other. "Anyway, we found a few interesting parchments in his office," Julia continued, pointing to the pile of parchments on Harry's night table. "This is one of them." She held out Minerva's writing, giggling.

Poppy glanced at the parchment and grinned. "Oh, I will never forget that scene. The funniest part was that she did it in front of our whole class."

Harry, who had been involuntarily listening to their thoughts since he couldn't concentrate enough to occlude his mind, suddenly blurted out, "They are married? Is that true, Madam Pomfrey?"

Poppy threw Harry a shocked glance. "Harry, promise me not to speak about that to anyone and not to tell Minerva that you heard it from me. The only people here at Hogwarts, who know about that, are Rolanda Hooch, Severus, and me."

"I didn't hear that from you, it's all right," Harry replied hoarsely.

"Just tell us one thing please," Julia spoke up. "To whom is she married? Dumbledore?"

"Yep," Harry coughed.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Since Harry had to stay in bed the next day, the three friends spent the whole morning examining the pile of parchments more closely. Most of the papers were boring sentences that students had to write because of disturbing their class. "I wonder why Filch keeps these papers in his office," Julia said thoughtfully.

"I can tell you that," Ken replied smugly. "The students, who wrote these sentences, have all been teachers here at a time. Let's see if we find something else of someone we know."

"Here!" Harry suddenly croaked and showed them a parchment. 'Poppy Pomfrey sixth year,' it was titled and was covered all over with the sentence '_I must not use healing spells on my friends without permission_.'

"Oh, cool," Julia replied. "Keep that, and we'll ask her about it later. Let's see if we find more."

"Here is one," Ken chuckled. "It's from McGonagall and says, '_I'm not allowed to fight with other animals when I'm in my cat form_.' And here's another one, '_I must not transfigure other students into animals_.' She somehow seems to have been like the Weasley twins."

"Who is like the Weasley twins?" Severus, who just entered the room, enquired.

"Oh, please don't get upset, Severus. Yesterday, we nicked a few parchments from Mr. Filch's office and found lots of detention work of Minerva and Poppy," Harry quickly informed the man.

"You WHAT?" Severus gasped, glancing at the parchments that were lying all over Harry's bed. "Well, I didn't see nor hear anything," he decided. "However, I believe that it would be wise not to let Professor McGonagall know about your findings; I'm not sure if she would approve that you took documents out of a staff member's office. Now, how are you feeling, Harry?"

"That was too fast, Severus," Harry whispered, giving the man a pleading look, who immediately repeated his argument telepathically.

"That's true," Harry admitted. "Can you somehow put a charm on the parchments, so that nobody except for the three of us and you and Poppy will be able to see them?"

Severus frowned. "I can do that, but you have to promise that you won't use any of the information for mischief, especially not against a staff member."

"We promise," Harry replied immediately, echoed by his friends' replies.

Severus quickly waved his wand at the parchments, before he repeated his question, "How are you feeling, Harry?"

"Okay," Harry replied a bit hesitantly since he didn't feel too well, causing Severus and his friends, who could see his glassy eyes and flushed cheeks, to snort incredulously.

"We believe that immediately," Severus told him and stuck the thermometer under the boy's armpit in order to peer into his mouth and his ears while they had to wait for the reading. "Neither your ears nor your throat look any better yet, Harry. And you still have a fever," he added, taking the thermometer back. "I will give you your potions now, and then you'll try to eat a few spoons full of soup and take a nap, while your friends go to the Great Hall for lunch."

"I don't want to eat right now, but a nap sounds good," Harry replied, closing his eyes.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Receiving an encouraging nod from Severus, Julia and Ken went down to the Great Hall to have lunch together with the teachers, who were in the castle at the moment. Severus sat down on the edge of Harry's bed, bathing his flushed face with a cool cloth, which he finally adjusted on the child's forehead.

When Severus' glance fell onto the parchments that were gathered over Harry's bed cover, he smirked and took a few of them in his hands, engrossing himself in the interesting material. Suddenly, he found a parchment covered by his own writing. '_Thanks God that Harry's asleep and nobody else is here_,' he smirked when he cast the Incendio charm on the parchment, on which he had once written a hundred times, '_I may not use spells on other students that make them hover upside down in the air_.'

'_Harry really doesn't need to know about that_,' he thought, trying to keep all memories of the Marauders out of his mind.

When Julia and Ken returned to Harry's room with Poppy in tow an hour later, Harry was still fast asleep, and Severus was sitting on the edge of his bed laughing so hard that Poppy and the students shot him confused glances.

"Did we miss something, Professor?" Ken asked, looking expectantly at his head of house.

"Here, look at this," Severus laughed. "Professor McGonagall obviously wasn't as bad as the Weasley twins; she was much worse!"

Julia took the parchment from him and read the sentence, frowning at the adults. "What is the Fidelius Charm? Anyway, it must have been bad, considering that she had to write it about five hundreds or even a thousand times. I wonder what happened. It's from Professor McGonagall's seventh year." She grabbed the few parchments they had put aside during the morning and turned to Poppy. "Madam Pomfrey, would you please be so kind and tell us the backgrounds of all these detentions?"

Poppy, who could hardly stop herself from laughing, promised, "All right, provided that you don't tell Professor McGonagall. Let me just check on Harry first."

* * *

_For those, who love a mischief doing Minerva, I've started a new story "Minerva's Potions Accident", in which Minerva is de-aged to a five-year old child!_

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Poppy quickly waved her wand at Harry, mumbling to herself. "He should be all right by tomorrow," she finally told the others. "Now, what do you want to know?" She took the first parchment that Julia handed her and gasped when she read '_I must not use healing spells on my friends without permission_.' "I thought you were asking about Professor McGonagall."

Poppy sat down on a chair and sighed before she began to explain. "Well, we had a real git of a Potions professor, who absolutely hated all students that were from other houses but Slytherin. One of our friends, Dustin, made a mistake and his potion exploded, causing him to spike green spots all over his arms and legs. The professor obviously wanted him to have the spots until they wore off, which would have been about a day, a painful day at that, so that he'd be careful the next time. However, I took pity on him and cast a healing spell on him that made the spots go away in a blink. You can't believe how disappointed and enraged the professor was."

She took the next parchment and groaned. "Ah Minerva... she was fighting the Slytherins all the time. One of our Slytherin classmates was a squirrel Animagus. I don't remember what he had done to anger her, but one day, when he was on the ground playing in his Animagus form, she transformed into her cat form and put up a huge fight against him, causing him to break a few ribs. Fortunately, that was in our seventh year and I could already heal broken ribs, but nevertheless he went to his head of house and complained about Minerva. She received a month worth of detentions and obviously had to write that sentence."

Everyone laughed and Poppy continued, "The next parchment results from an event in the Potions classroom again. One of the Slytherins threw something into her cauldron, and she became so angry that she transfigured him into a rat on the spot. What a stupid thing to do in front of the git of a Potions professor!"

"And this one?" Julia enquired. "What is the Fidelius Charm, by the way?"

Poppy sighed and explained, "It is a very difficult spell, in which all the information about a place or something is hidden within one person, the secret keeper, and as long as the secret keeper doesn't divulge the information or cancels the spell nobody is able to find the secret."

Ignoring the amazed looks the students gave her, she continued, "Once, Professor McGonagall put the Potions classroom under the Fidelius Charm for a day when the professor had announced a test just on the day after an important Quidditch match. That time, they didn't even realize what was wrong with the room, but when she repeated the spell on the Quidditch pitch during the time when the Slytherin team wanted to do their practise, everyone knew that it could only have been Minerva, since it was clear that it was a Gryffindor, and no one else of our team members would have been able to cast such a difficult spell."

"Oh my, she really was worse than anyone I know," suddenly Harry blurted out.

"Hey, Harry! I thought you were asleep," Julia said aloud what everyone else thought.

"No, I heard everything," Harry replied hoarsely, "even Madam Pomfrey's thoughts."

"Ah, well, I'm sure Harry is going to tell us later," Ken smirked.

"All right, and I believe it's time to forbid visitors to Harry while he's ill," Poppy told them sternly, causing Harry to promise he wouldn't tell anything.

"What aren't you going to tell?" Minerva enquired, who just entered the room and heard Harry's last sentence.

Harry efficiently hid his answer behind a coughing fit.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When the teachers finally left the room, the three friends concentrated on the rest of the pile, which they hadn't looked at yet. They found a few more parchments of Minerva's and Poppy's detentions, even one of Pomona Sprout. "Let's put everything interesting aside, so that we can ask Madam Pomfrey again," Harry suggested.

Suddenly, they found a completely empty parchment. "What's that?" Ken asked, tapping it with his wand, shocked when the parchment suddenly spoke back.

"State your names," it said.

"Julia White, Harry Potter, and Ken Brighton," Ken replied confused.

"We hereby deem you to be the rightful successors of this noble parchment. To activate its hidden treasure, simply say '_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'_. To clear the map, just state '_Mischief managed'_. The Marauders wish you lots of fun."

"What?" Harry asked, rubbing his forehead. "That was much too fast for me," he said hoarsely.

"It's all right, sweetie, I'll write it for you," Julia said calmingly, fetching an empty piece of parchment and wrote the activation and ending sentences for Harry to read.

"Thanks," Harry whispered gratefully and watched eagerly as Ken told the parchment the sentence.

Suddenly, many thin lines appeared on the parchment, which they could recognize as a map of Hogwarts. "And it shows everyone in the castle," Harry spoke up amazed. "Look, we're here, and McGonagall is just coming over to us."

"Mischief managed," Ken quickly said, and the map changed back into an empty parchment, just when Minerva entered the room to check on Harry and announce that it was dinner time.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry enjoyed his holiday week together with his friends so much that he thought he would miss them terribly once they returned home. However, Severus and Minerva began to teach him second year's material, so that Harry wouldn't get too much problems following his classes even if he had hearing difficulties or was ill so often. They also spent time with Harry taking him to Diagon Alley, to the zoo and to the sea side for a day, which Harry enjoyed greatly.

Severus and Poppy also used the last three weeks of the holidays to test a new ear salve, which Severus had developed for Harry. Unfortunately, it still had the same side effects as the old healing salve, but the effects were much better and Harry's hearing abilities seemed to slowly improve until the beginning of the school year. However, Harry's general condition didn't improve in the same way, and to his great disappointment, he fell ill on the last days of the holidays.

At breakfast, Hagrid asked him, "Harry, would you like to come to Hogsmeade with me tonight to greet the students and to ride a boat back together with the first years?"

"Yes," Harry replied excitedly and turned to his guardians. "Can I?"

"Why not?" Minerva replied, glancing at Severus, who nodded his head.

"I don't know if you can, but you may, Harry," he replied dryly. "Now, do you want to accompany me to Slytherin house to see if everything is prepared for the students?" Severus asked, and Harry nodded eagerly.

However, while they walked from one room to the next, Harry noticed that he wasn't feeling too well. When they returned to the common room, he gratefully let himself sink into one of the comfortable sofas, muttering, "Ah, this feels good."

Severus watched the boy in concern and finally sat down next to Harry. "Are you feeling all right, child?" he asked and carefully felt Harry's forehead, noticing that it seemed a bit warm.

"Can you give me a headache potion, please?" Harry asked back, causing his guardian to frown.

"I can do that, but I want to check on you first. Let's go back to my quarters," Severus replied and motioned Harry to sit or lie down on the sofa in his sitting room, where he could take his temperature and look into his throat and ears.

Feeling too ill to fight against it, Harry complied and wasn't even astonished when Severus told him that his throat and ears were infected and he had a fever. 'Do you want to lie down here on the sofa for a while, or do you prefer to go to bed?' the teacher asked telepathically, while he handed Harry the first of two phials.

Harry quickly gulped down the potions and thought back, 'I'd like to stay here if you don't mind.'

'I don't mind, Harry. I have to check the Slytherin time tables, but I can do that here as well as in my office. So I can keep you company until the staff meeting in the afternoon.'

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry was very disappointed when he had to miss the Welcoming feast in the evening. He had been looking forward to riding the boats together with the first years and to watch the Sorting ceremony from one of the house tables. However, when Poppy checked on him in the early evening, he had a high fever and was hardly able to hear anything. "He got it worse than the last times," Poppy told Minerva, "and I'm afraid that he will have to miss at least one day if not two days of classes."

In the morning, Poppy checked on Harry as soon as the alert she had put on the child informed her of the fact that he was waking up. "I'm sorry, sweetie, you have to stay in bed today," she told him, gently stroking his hot cheeks.

Harry felt very sad, knowing that he would miss classes from the first day onwards. However, he was aware of the fact that he was in no condition to attend classes. Suddenly, he had an idea. He took the Marauders' map as the three friends called their secret parchment and activated it, watching the students bustling around in their houses for a while. At one stage, all the black points started to move in the direction of the Great Hall. However, one small black point slowly came straight in the direction of Harry's room.

Getting very curious, since he had never heard the name before and assumed it had to be a first year, Harry scrambled out of his bed and opened his door.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

As soon as Harry stepped out into the hall, he noticed a toad just in front of his feet. Picking up the toad, he spoke to the small animal. "Oh, you're a cutie, aren't you? Who do you belong to, and where are you going?" He looked around and saw a boy coming straight towards his door.

"That's my toad," the boy said, trying to catch his breath, "Thanks for picking him up."

Harry handed the boy the toad and said hoarsely, "I like it. Do you think he can communicate with snakes? I have a snake familiar. Ah, sorry, I'm Harry."

"Hello Harry," the other boy smiled. "I'm Neville; I'm a first year Hufflepuff."

"Excuse me, what's your name? I'm sorry, I cannot hear very well, especially as I'm sick at the moment. That's why I couldn't attend your sorting yesterday."

"Neville is my name, and I'm in Hufflepuff," the boy repeated very loud and slowly, so that Harry could understand. "We can meet after lessons and see if they can talk to each other; I'd like that."

"Good idea," Harry replied. "I'm a second year, but I'm not in a house, because Professors McGongall and Snape are my guardians and because of my hearing problems. But here's my room," he pointed at the door behind himself, "and you can come and visit me anytime. I'd like that very much."

"Thanks," the boy replied, giving Harry a hesitant smile, and asked, "Can you tell me where the Potions classroom is? I have Potions first."

Knowing that everyone should still be at breakfast, Harry replied, "All right, I'll show you, but we have to be quick, before anyone notices that I left my room; let me just put robes over my pyjamas."

Neville giggled, and Harry quickly returned to his room to get his robes, before the two boys hurried to the dungeons.

Suddenly, someone spoke to them from behind. "Excuse me; do you know where the library is?"

Harry and Neville turned around and saw a first year girl with bushy brown hair standing right behind them. "Yes, I know where the library is. It's up this staircase and then straight on along the hall. But don't you have a class during the first period?" Harry asked, coughing.

"Are you sick? Maybe you should better go to the hospital wing," the girl replied concerned. "I have Potions first; I just thought..."

"No, you won't manage to go to the library and then to the dungeons on time. Come with us, I'm just showing Neville where the Potions classroom is. I'm Harry, by the way."

"I'm Hermione, Ravenclaw first year. Hello Neville, hello Harry."

"If you come to my room with Neville after classes, I can show you where the library is. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs have most classes together anyway," Harry promised and led the two first years to the dungeons, before he quickly excused himself and hurried back to his room to crawl into bed.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During lunchtime, Julia and Ken showed up in Harry's room. "Oh no, Harry, are you sick again?" Julia exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Harry replied. "I just hope they'll let me attend classes tomorrow. Did you bring my homework?"

"Yes, but I don't know if we're allowed to give it to you," Julia answered hesitantly. "We have Transfiguration next, and then I'll ask Professor McGonagall, all right? We'll come back after classes anyway."

"All right," Harry grudgingly agreed. "Ah, by the way, I met two really nice first years this morning..."

"How can you meet first years when you're sick in bed?" Julia asked in a completely annoyed voice, while Ken couldn't help chuckling.

Harry sighed. "Well, I used our map and saw someone head here, and when I stepped out I nearly fell over a toad that belongs to a Hufflepuff first year. He wanted to know where the Potions classroom was, and on the way there, we met a Ravenclaw girl. I forgot the name, but I promised to show her to the library if she came here after classes."

Ken laughed, while Julia glared at Harry. "I don't think you'll go anywhere today," she said sternly. "If they really come here, I will take them to the library; plus we have to tell the teachers that Ken and I met them and talked to them, since I don't think you'll want them to know that you ran around the castle this morning."

Harry threw Julia a frustrated glance. "Sorry Julia, that was too fast. I'm really having problems today."

Julia sighed and took a parchment from Harry's desk, writing her earlier statement down, while Ken felt Harry's forehead and gasped. "He's very hot," he said to Julia and stood up. "I'm going to get Pomfrey."

Harry quickly grabbed his arm and croaked. "Where are you going?"

"Call Pomfrey," Ken replied, heading for the door.

"No, wait, she's going to come anyway. It's not urgent, and she has a lot of work. I can wait."

'Sure?' Julia wrote, and Harry gave her a slight nod.

"Tell me what I missed this morning," he begged his friends. "Ah wait." He suddenly grinned. "I have to tell you something first. I asked Poppy if she could tell me more about pranks they did in their Hogwarts time, and she told me several stories. In one of them, Minerva again pranked the Potions professor. They were supposed to write a test, but she didn't have time to study because of Quidditch practise or something. She went to the Potions classroom early in the morning and transfigured the whole floor into a Portkey; of course not into one that moved with everyone, but everyone, who entered the room, was transported out to the grounds. When they went back and tried to enter the room once more, they found themselves outside again. The spell only wore off at lunchtime. However," he interrupted himself, coughing.

"Harry, you shouldn't talk so much," Julia reminded him but was ignored for the moment.

"However, when she prepared the prank, she hadn't noticed that it was raining outside, and in the evening, the whole class had detention in order to brew Pepper-up potion, because they all caught a cold running around in the rain."

Ken snatched the parchment from Julia and wrote, '_That's a brilliant story. I wonder how Professor McGonagall became the strict teacher she's now_.'

Harry and Julia laughed, and Harry blurted out, "I'd really like to know about that."

"What would you like to know?" Minerva, who just entered the room and heard what Harry said, asked.

"Professor, Harry can hardly hear anything today. Is Madam Pomfrey going to look after him?" Julia managed to gain her head of house's attention.

"Yes, of course she will. Have the two of you eaten lunch?" Minerva asked sternly, although she knew definitely that neither of them had been in the Great Hall.

"No, not yet. We wanted to see Harry and thought we could get something from the kitchen later," Julia admitted in a small voice, causing Minerva to call a house elf and bring sandwiches for the two students.

When Julia and Ken sat down at Harry's desk to eat their sandwiches, Minerva sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. "How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked softly, gently pushing an errand strang of hair from his forehead. "You're very warm, aren't you?"

Harry gripped Minerva's hand and croaked, "I don't feel so well, and I can hardly understand anything. Can you give me my potions?"

"I'm going to get Poppy for you," Minerva said and stood up, determined. An instant later, she returned with the healer in tow.

Poppy waved her wand over Harry, whispered, "I'll be back in an instant, Minerva," and left the room only to return a few minutes later with a goblet.

Harry obediently gulped down the liquid and fell asleep immediately. "I gave him a stronger dose of his normal potion, laced with a sleeping draught," she explained and slid a wrist band over his left hand, before she spelled two other potions straight into his stomach. "I don't mind you being here with him, but I don't want anyone to talk to him today. Please use parchments and a quill to communicate with him," she added sternly and left the room.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When Julia and Ken returned from their lessons, Harry was still asleep.They sat down at his desk and started with their homework. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and when Julia opened the door, Hermione and Neville entered the room. Seeing that Harry was asleep, the four students quietly introduced themselves to each other.

"Too funny," Julia suddenly giggled. "Look, we're one of each house, and Harry belongs to all houses anyway. Good that we have his room here as meeting point."

"I still can't believe that he isn't sorted. In my book '_Hogwarts: A History_' it says that all students have to be sorted," Hermione spoke up.

"Maybe he's the heir of one of the founders? But then he'd be in that house," Neville mused aloud. "What's his name by the way?"

"Harry Potter," Ken chuckled. "He hates it; no wonder he didn't tell you."

"No, that can't be true. I know for a fact that he cannot be Harry Potter," Hermione replied resolutely.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"How do you know that he cannot be Harry Potter?" Neville asked confused. "I mean, I find it strange too, because Harry Potter is just a day younger than I, so that he can't very well be a year ahead of me."

"Exactly," Hermione agreed, especially as Hogwarts seems to be very strict in this matter. "I'll be twelve in two weeks, and I know for a fact that he is ten months younger than me; so how could he possibly be a year ahead? Plus, he doesn't have the scar."

Julia and Ken laughed and explained the reasons for Harry's being a second year and for his missing scar to the stunned first years. "Well," Julia concluded her explanation, "since Harry is asleep, and we aren't allowed to speak to him today anyway, shall I accompany you to the library? We can meet here again tomorrow."

"That's a good idea," Hermione agreed immediately, and Neville nodded his head.

"I'm going to stay with Harry in case he wakes up," Ken replied, settling on the edge of Harry's bed with his Potions homework.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Poppy kept Harry in bed for three more days, and every afternoon and evening, Hermione and Neville joined Julia and Ken in Harry's room. They could only communicate by writing, since Harry wasn't able to hear anything, but that didn't prevent the Trio from becoming good friends with the two first year students. They even decided to extend their Potions tutoring on the two first years, since Hermione loved studying anything, and Neville had already managed to blow his cauldron up in his first Potions class.

'_I think the professor hates me_,' Neville scribbled on the parchment. '_He threw me a menacing glare and hissed I was a complete dunderhead. And that was only the first class. He already took twenty-five points from me_.'

"Oh Neville, we will teach you to do the potions a bit ahead, so that you can practise them once before you have to do them in class. And if you still don't get along with Professor Snape, I will speak to him about it. I know for a fact that many students are afraid of him, but I cannot imagine that he hates you," Harry replied aloud.

'_All right, thank you, Harry_,' Neville scribbled, looking slightly consoled.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

On Monday morning, Poppy grudgingly allowed Harry to attend classes, although his condition wasn't a hundred percent well yet. "If you have any problems, sweetie, you'll come to me immediately, all right?" the healer reminded him in concern.

"Of course, Poppy," Harry promised and followed Poppy to the Great Hall for breakfast. Knowing that he still could hardly hear anything, he decided to sit at the head table next to Severus, where he could easily communicate with his guardian.

"Are you sure that it's wise to let Harry attend classes although he can't hear anything?" Minerva asked in concern. "Is he completely well apart from his ears?"

"His throat infection is gone, and his fever is down to a slight temperature. Moreover, he wants to attend classes in spite of not being able to hear. However, I told him to skip the History of Magic class since it doesn't make sense at all if he can't hear," Poppy explained, watching in concern as Harry continued to play with his breakfast.

Harry's first lesson was Defence against the Dark Arts, and Harry was very apprehensive to have lessons with Professor Quirrel, whom he hadn't spoken again after their encounter during the summer holidays. Harry sat between Ken and Julia in the first row as usual when the teacher entered the classroom. He noticed immediately that the professor seemed to be much quieter and less excited than he had been the few times he had met him during the summer holidays. Unfortunately, the professor was still stuttering, and Harry couldn't understand a word of the teacher's monologue at the beginning of the class.

'_He's going to throw several spells on us, and we have to counter with Expelliarmus_,' Ken wrote on a piece of parchment for Harry, who gave him a grateful nod in return.

Suddenly, Harry noticed that everyone was looking at him. '_He wants you for his demonstration_,' Ken wrote, and Harry gave him a horrified look. "I can't hear anything," he whispered back.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but Harry has hearing problems and is afraid that he might not be able to react properly," Julia explained to the teacher.

"Ah, but Mr. P...P.. Potter is so ex.. experienced with different s...sp... spells that he will manage to demonstrate the Ex..pelliarmus sp...pell for me," the professor returned, an unreadable expression on his face.

Julia motioned Harry to stand up and go to the teacher, who showed Harry where he had to stand. Knowing that he wasn't able to hear anything, Harry anxiously watched the teacher's lips and as soon as they moved, he cast the Expelliarmus spell, sending the teacher a few metres across the class room. "I'm sorry, Professor; did I cast the spell too early?" he asked frightened, extending a hand to help the teacher up from the floor.

Quirrel however didn't take Harry's hand but motioned him to return to his position opposite himself. This time, Harry didn't notice that the teacher's lips moved at all and was hit full force by a cutting spell, causing him to sink onto the floor in agony, while his classmates began to argue with the teacher about what had happened. Julia and Ken hurried over to Harry's side immediately, but he was in so much pain that they didn't know how they could help him.

'Harry, if you can hear me, contact Snape and make him come here,' Ken thought to the boy, hoping that the spell had caused him to let his wards down.

"Okay," Harry mumbled to Ken, and thought to Severus, 'Severus, Defence accident, hurt.'

'Are you all right, Harry?' Severus asked back immediately.

'No, Defence classroom,' Harry replied, before he succumbed to his injuries and lost consciousness.

Ten minutes later, Severus rushed into the room, his wand drawn, seeing a bulk of students, who surrounded Professor Quirrel, obviously still fighting about what had happened.

"Here, Professor Snape!" Ken shouted when he saw his head of house, and Severus immediately hurried to Harry.

"A cutting curse," he said horrified. "Ms. White, go and inform the headmaster exactly what happened. Mr. Brighton, stay here and try to keep Quirrel here. Afterwards, both of you come to Harry's room and look after him. I'm going to brew a potion for him in my classroom.

Ten minutes later, Julia and the headmaster headed back to the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom, and Julia filled the professor in while they walked. "At first, he only said, 'all right, let's start,' but Harry couldn't hear what he said and already sent an Expelliarmus spell against him, which efficiently hit the professor. And then, Quirrel obviously cast a silent spell at Harry, making him collapse in pain. Professor Snape said it was a cutting curse."

"Thank you, Miss White. You may return to Harry's side; I shall deal with Professor Quirrel. I might need you later on again though."

At the same time, Severus was hurrying to Harry's room, the child scooped up in his arms. On his way he advised Poppy telepathically to come to Harry's room, glad that she was already there when they arrived, so that he could return to his classroom to brew the potion for Harry without losing any more time.

Poppy enervated the boy and promptly spelled a pain relieving potion into Harry's stomach, causing the child to sigh in relief. "Thank you, Poppy," he said, slowly averting his eyes to look at the healer, who sat down on the edge of his bed. "I'm sorry, I still can't understand anything," he admitted in a small voice.

'_I'm sorry, Harry; I shouldn't have let you go this morning_,' Poppy wrote on a piece of parchment.

Harry lightly shook his head, wincing at the pain the movement caused. "It's not your fault; you couldn't know what would happen. However, I won't attend classes in such a condition again," Harry told the healer firmly.

"How is Harry?" Julia, who just entered the room, asked.

"I don't know any details yet," Poppy answered gravely. "Since nobody heard Professor Quirrel actually cast the spell, we don't know if it was just a 'harmless' cutting spell or if it was a dark spell, which might cause problems, especially as Harry is so delicate and not completely well at the moment anyway."

"Is Professor Snape brewing a potion for him?"

"Yes, he is, and it should be ready in less than an hour, and then we'll know more." Poppy sighed and gently placed a cold cloth on Harry's forehead, careful not to touch the cuts that covered his whole body. '_Considering how strong Harry's magic is, they should already begin to heal if it was just a simple cutting curse_,' Poppy mused but kept the thought to herself in order not to frighten the girl even more.

* * *

_Thanks for your many kind reviews. Even if I not always reply to each of them, I appreciate them very much. Thanks a lot!_

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Half an hour later, Severus returned with a goblet, which he pressed against Harry's lips as soon the boy sat up with Poppy's help. "I hope this will work," he whispered to Poppy, while Harry downed the potion.

"Nothing happens," Harry voiced what they all thought, watching the cuts on his arms piercingly.

'Harry, you must remain patient. I have to find out what spell he used, since there are several spells, which could cause this effect. The problem is that we can't heal you with a healing spell as long as we don't know which spell you were hit with; otherwise it could become very dangerous. As soon as I know more, I'll tell you. Your friend and Poppy will stay with you until Minerva or I are back,' Severus thought to Harry and repeated the same for Poppy and Julia, before he hurried to the fireplace to call the headmaster.

"Kingsley and I are just questioning Quirrel under Veritaserum, Severus. Feel free to join us," the headmaster told him, and Severus stepped into the fireplace immediately.

"Which spell did you use on Harry Potter?" Severus asked Quirrel, who answered promptly, "the Secaro infecto spell."

"Do you know the counter spell?" he enquired.

"The Claudo secaro charm," the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher replied. "However, the cuts will become infected before they heal completely, and there is no counter method."

Severus thanked Albus and the Auror and returned to Harry's room, which was only a two minutes walk from the headmaster's office. On the way, he told Harry, 'Relax, Harry; I know the counter spell.' As soon as he entered Harry's room, he cast the spell, and they watched how the cuts closed but remained visible. "It was the Secaro infecto spell, which means that the cuts will become infected," he told Poppy, who was worriedly watching what happened.

A short while later, the cuts on Harry's skin turned into a bright green colour, and Harry had the impression that his whole body was on fire.

"Severus, Madam Pomfrey can you do anything against it?" Harry asked, moaning slightly.

Poppy quickly waved her wand over the child, while Severus explained, 'I'm sorry, Harry; there is no counter against the infection. We can only wait it out. Poppy has just spelled a fever reducer into your stomach; you should feel a bit better soon.'

"Thanks," Harry mumbled gratefully, not aware of the fact that Poppy was just spelling a sleeping potion into him that took effect immediately.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

When Harry woke up it was already dark outside. Minerva, Poppy, and Severus were drinking tea at his desk. "Oh, are you having a staff meeting in my room?" he tried to joke, a small smile on his lips, causing the three adults to come over to him immediately.

'How do you feel, son?' Severus asked.

"I feel much better now," '_at least physically_,' he added in his thoughts. "What happened to Professor Quirrel?" he asked anxiously.

'They have taken him to a ministry cell, where he will stay until his trial. He cannot harm you anymore,' Severus told him calmingly.

Harry reached for Minerva's hand, an anxious expression on his face. "Minerva, may I sleep in your bed tonight? I don't want to sleep here alone," he asked hesitantly.

"Of course you may, sweetie," Minerva replied slowly enough, so that Harry could read her lips.

'Harry, don't occlude your mind right now, so that Poppy and Minerva can speak with you,' Severus told the child, seeing that he showed no reaction to a question Poppy had asked him.

Harry concentrated for a moment and finally said, "All right, I can hear your thoughts now."

'Can you hear me, Harry?' Poppy thought, and when he nodded, she continued, 'Harry, seeing that your hearing is still so bad this time, I'd like to give you the hear salve tonight, because I hope that it'll help you getting back to your normal hearing ability and because Severus has once more improved the salve. However, since you have a slight fever, it might cause you a bit of pain. Are you willing to endure that?'

"Of course," Harry replied without even thinking about the matter.

'Then I suggest that you move into my bed, and Poppy can apply the salve there,' Minerva thought, before she repeated the same thought aloud, and helped Harry over into her own bed, carrying his pillow and cover for him.

'Good night, Harry, and you know that you can contact me any time,' Severus told him and excused himself for the night.

Poppy calmingly thought to Harry, while Minerva hurried to get ready for bed and slid under the covers to hold Harry's hand, while Poppy applied the ear salve, which was very painful as usual. As soon as Poppy was finished and returned to her own quarters, Minerva spelled the lights off and pulled Harry close, giving him a kiss on his forehead, while he already drifted off to sleep.

During the night, Harry drifted in and out of nightmares, but each time Minerva was there to wake him up and talk to him in a calming voice, noticing by his response to her talking that his hearing seemed to have improved a little.

In the morning, Poppy came on checked on Harry, frowning. "His cuts are not healed yet and he is still running a temperature. However, your hearing has improved, Harry, hasn't it?" she asked, causing Harry to let out a relieved sigh.

"Yes, I can hear you like I did before I fell ill last week."

"All right, but you still need to stay in bed today," Poppy said sternly and looked at Minerva, noticing the dark rings under her eyes. "And you will remain here with him, Minerva, and try to get some sleep," she instructed her friend. "I will contact Albus and ask him to either take over your classes or to cancel them."

"All right, thanks Poppy," Minerva mumbled tiredly.

'_It's amazing what a child can do_,' Poppy thought smiling. '_Until Harry came into her life, she would rather have killed me than let me cancel her classes_.' She made Harry drink a potion and promised to return at lunchtime to apply the ear salve once more, before she left to contact the headmaster.

Harry stayed in Minerva's bed until the next morning, when he was finally allowed to attend classes again.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During the next weeks, the trio became very close to their two new friends, and they met in Harry's room every day as soon as classes were over. Seeing what the children were doing, Minerva conjured an additional table with five comfortable chairs in a corner of Harry's room, so that they could even do their homework together. Three times a week, they spent the evening in the Potions classroom, where the Weasley twins joined them sometimes to brew funny potions together.

Neville's Potions abilities soon improved and Ken didn't have any more problems either; nevertheless, the five friends enjoyed brewing together so much that they continued with their potions tutoring. Whenever they didn't have any urgent potions to brew that either of the boys hadn't been able to finish properly during class, Harry chose a potion from the book '_Potions: Easy but Useful_' that Severus had given him for his birthday.

One Friday evening, after Harry had spent the day in bed with his usual throat and ear infection, he showed his friends the Marauders Map, explained to a totally amazed Hermione and an excited Neville what it was and said, "I was bored today and played a bit with the map. Anyway, I don't know how I did it, but it suddenly reveals all the passwords that are used within the castle. Look, you can even read the password you need to enter the headmaster's office. And look at this. It seems to be the entrance to a hidden corridor or something." He pointed to a sketch of the one eyed witch on the third floor. "And here is another one I think, and here. All together, there are ten places that look like hidden corridors, which are secured by passwords. Here's even one that's in Parseltongue." He pointed to another part of the map. "I thought we should try all of the points out, which I found, and since it's Saturday tomorrow, it would be a good time to start, wouldn't it?"

"Will you be allowed to get up tomorrow?" Julia asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

Harry sighed. "I don't know, but if not, we can still try it out on Sunday, can't we?"

"It's a brilliant idea, Harry," Neville commended him, causing Ken to eagerly nod his head.

"Absolutely brilliant," Hermione agreed.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

On Saturday morning, Poppy grudgingly allowed Harry out of bed. "You still have a temperature, and I want you to rest today. Don't run around, and don't do anything strenuous such as flying," she admonished him sternly, when she checked on Harry right before breakfast.

Harry excitedly joined Ken at the Slytherin table to eat a few bites and met with his other friends straight after breakfast in the entrance hall, the Marauders Map hidden in his robe pocket. "I brought Lucky with me..." He pointed to his left wrist, where Lucky showed her head from under his sleeve. "And I thought we could check out the one with the Parseltongue password."

Everyone agreed, and soon the children were on their way to search for the entrance that seemed to be hidden behind a portrait of a fishing wizard at the far end of the sixth floor.

* * *

_Thanks for your many kind reviews – they are what makes me continue this story so fast... The Harry cuddling with Minerva scene was writtten due to a request from SnapesYukuai's sister :-)_

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"You're the first visitors in a very long time," a snake that appeared between the fish in the lake as soon as the portrait opened hissed. "Be careful and don't forget to cast the charm that is engraved in the wall at the end of the steps, if you want to survive your trip. Have fun. When you come back you only have to say 'Open please,' and we will let you out."

Harry thanked the snake, and the five friends entered the corridor that had been hidden behind the portrait. Soon, the corridor narrowed to a small path, which turned into deep steps after a few metres. Ken went ahead and the others followed him down the steps, which seemed to continue endlessly. '_So much about not doing anything strenuous_,' Harry thought wearily after what seemed to be an infinite time of descending. He had a terrible headache and could already feel his throat and ears getting worse again.

"We should have passed the dungeons long ago," Ken voiced, pulling Harry out of his thoughts.

"Actually, the air is getting wet here as if we were near the lake," Hermione spoke up.

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Julia, who was walking right in front of Harry, asked in concern, noticing that his breathing was becoming shallow.

"Anyway, I want to see where this leads," Harry replied, causing Ken to walk on.

After another few minutes of walking, a huge window appeared on the right side, leading right into the lake, where they could see the lake's inhabitants swimming and playing. "All right, let's go on," Hermione said, shaking her friends out of their fascination, and everyone agreed.

'_I just hope this will end soon_,' Harry thought, breathing heavily.

After a few more minutes, the steps suddenly ended. "All right, we have to look for a charm written on the wall," Julia spoke up casting a Lumos charm.

"Here it is," Neville exclaimed.

'_I love Hogwarts and I love thee _

_Please watch out throughout Hogwarts for me_.'

Hermione read the charm aloud. "What a strange charm. What does it do?" she mused aloud.

"Anyway, since the snake didn't explain if it was enough when one of us spoke the charm, we should all read it once," Harry said and read the two lines aloud, waving his wand at what could be ahead of them at the same time.

Everyone followed his example, and Ken took the lead once more. Soon, they reached a huge stone door. "What now?" Ken asked, turning back to his friends.

"Open please," Harry hissed in Parseltongue, causing the door to open and let them into a huge stone room.

"Ah, visitors!" soon a voice penetrated his achy ears. "I love visitors, and I see that you put the charm on me, preventing me from hurting anyone at the school, while you're at Hogwarts," someone hissed.

Harry translated everything he heard, and suddenly Hermione gasped, "A Basilisk! Look, over there!"

"Normally, basilisks' eyes kill everyone, who looks at them," Lucky filled Harry in, who translated again for his friends. "However, the charm prevents that."

"Can you tell us where we are here?" Hermione asked excitedly, and Harry was glad, when he heard that Lucky translated for the basilisk.

"You're in the Chamber of Secrets," the basilisk replied. "I am Lufian, which means 'love' in the old English of my master's time, and I'm Salazar Slytherin's pet. Since you claim to be friends and are the first visitors since my owner passed away, I will lead you into his quarters," Lufian announced and slithered ahead, leaving everyone to watch his huge body in awe.

The five friends followed the basilisk into a huge living room, which led to a bedroom on one side and a library on the other side. Harry immediately stepped over to the green sofa and sat down, sighing in relief, when he leaned his head against the back of the sofa. Ken pulled Neville with him to examine the bedroom, while the two girls hurried into the library.

A few minutes later, Hermione and Julia returned, exasperated. "Harry, the books are all in Parseltongue," Julia sighed.

Harry stood up and walked over to the small room. The walls were completely covered with books, obviously all in Parseltongue. He read the titles along the first shelf until he came to a book that immediately attracted his attention, being titled 'To my heir.'

'_What's that?_' he mused curiously, pulling the book out. He soon realised that it contained a detailed explanation about the Chamber of Secrets as well as several kinds of data from Hogwarts of the time of the founders. There was even an appendix, in which all the books in Salazar's library were listed.

"May I borrow this book?" Harry hissed to Lufian, who nodded his large head.

"I believe that Salazar doesn't have an heir anymore, and you're the last living relative of him, even if you're only very far related," the basilisk explained.

"May I have a look?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Sure," Harry replied, handing her the book.

Only seconds later, Hermione let out a huge gasp. "That's not Parseltongue, Harry. Only the title on the book cover is in Parseltongue. This is plain English."

The two girls dashed back to the library, and Harry could soon hear them shout excitedly, "Everything is in English," causing Neville and Ken to follow the girls.

Harry sighed and lay down on the sofa to rest for a short while, drifting off to sleep within seconds. He woke up several hours later to a cold hand on his forehead. Lazily opening his eyes, he looked straight into Julia's concerned eyes. "You're burning up, Harry. Do you think you'll be able to walk back, sweetie?"

"Of course," Harry replied, trying to ignore that he felt absolutely horrible.

The five friends slowly made their way back up the stairs, each of them with a borrowed book in their robe pockets. "Harry, you'll go first," Ken told him, knowing that his friend wouldn't be able to walk too fast.

'Harry, where are you?' Severus' concerned voice suddenly penetrated Harry's mind.

'We'll be back in about thirty minutes,' Harry replied tiredly. 'We discovered an interesting part of the castle. I'll tell you when we're back, all right? We're just on our way back.'

'I see. Harry, are you feeling all right?'

Harry sighed. 'I'm fine,' he lied, not wanting his guardian to worry.

Nearly an hour later, Harry dragged himself back into bed, while his friends headed to the Great Hall for dinner. '_I didn't realise that we spent so much time in the chamber_,' he thought wearily, scrambling under his covers. 'Severus, I'm back in my room,' he thought to his guardian as soon as his head touched the pillow.

'Are you not coming to dinner?' Severus replied sternly.

'No, I'm not hungry and I don't feel so good,' Harry replied wearily.

At the same time, Hermione and Julia approached the head table, turning to Minerva, Severus, and Poppy, who were sitting next to each other. "Professors, it would be good if someone could look after Harry. He seems to be really unwell," Julia explained quickly. "Is that possible, or should I go and watch him for the moment?"

"It's all right, thank you Miss White, Miss Granger. We will look after Harry," Minerva promised and stood up immediately.

"I'll be there in ten minutes, Minerva," Poppy promised. "I'm starving, because I already had to skip lunch today. If it's urgent, come and get me though."

"All right," Minerva replied and hurriedly left the Great Hall. "Harry, are you all right?" she asked worriedly, when she sat down on the edge of his bed, noticing in concern that his face was as white as his blanket and that he had dark rings under his half-open eyes, which were glazed over feverishly.

"Mum," Harry mumbled hoarsely, weakly taking her hand into his own, which seemed extremely hot to the touch.

"Are you having a set-back, sweetie?" Minerva asked in concern, which only intensified when Harry whispered back, "I don't know; I feel as if I was hit by a spell again that makes my whole body sore."

* * *

_Thanks for your many kind reviews – I really appreciate them._

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

While Minerva still sat there in shock and carefully bathed Harry's hot face, Poppy entered the room and waved her wand over the child, frowning. "He obviously had a setback, which became so bad that it turned into bronchitis. Of course, his ears and his throat are infected too."

"He told me he felt as if he had been hit by a spell again," Minerva replied questioningly.

"No, I don't think so," Poppy answered thoughtfully, waving her wand once more, just to be sure.

A while later, Harry's friends joined Minerva, Poppy, and Severus in Harry's room, while Harry was peacefully asleep, his stomach full with potions. Ken told the teachers that they had found the portrait, which had let them in, giving them instructions. Fortunately, he told the story in a way that made everyone believe the portrait had either let them in or told them the password.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry had to spend a few days in bed. However, knowing that it had been his own fault to aggravate his condition running around the castle, moreover exploring an unknown place in spite of Poppy's warning, was the worst part of being ill this time. His friends spent as much time with him as they could, and everyone noticed that Harry was able to hear in spite of being sick.

"Your new ear salve seems to be great progress," Poppy and Minerva told Severus one evening. "Of course he still can't hear very well, but it's much better than the other times he was sick."

"It could be just by chance," Severus told them coolly, heading to his private lab to do some more research for Harry and to reflect about what Harry had told him about the Basilisk and Salazar Slytherin's library. He couldn't wait for Harry to be completely back to health, so that he could take him to the Chamber of Secrets too. '_Perhaps I can ask the Basilisk for potions ingredients_,' he thought hopefully, while he added a pinch more of the rare moon fern blossoms to his next variation of the ear salve.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

One morning, the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, whom the headmaster had hired after the process against Quirrel, visited Harry during his free period. "Hello Harry, may I come in?" he asked softly, seeing that Harry was awake.

"Yes of course," Harry mumbled anxiously. '_Is he a supporter of Voldemort too? But he must be all right if they told him where my room is_.'

While his thoughts were doing flip flops, the teacher sat down on a chair next to Harry's bed. "Poppy allowed me to visit you, since you can hear relatively well in spite of being sick. I thought you might like to hear a few stories about your parents," the man said gently.

"Did you know my parents?" Harry asked excitedly. '_Minerva and Poppy have told me several things about his parents, but they only knew them from a teacher's perspective, but the Defence teacher is much younger..._'

Remus Lupin's voice pulled Harry out of his thoughts. "Yes Harry, I was a good friend of your parents. I also knew you well when you were a baby. You always called me Moo-ey."

"Moony? As in Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail?" Harry asked, sitting up in excitement.

"Yes Harry. Care to explain why you know these names? Do you by chance know the Marauders' Map?"

Harry chose to hide a small "Yes" behind a coughing fit.

"We made the map, your father, our two other friends, and I. But then Mr. Filch took it from us. It was such a pity."

"Will you promise not to take it from us?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"I promise, Harry," Remus replied smiling, causing Harry to pull the map out from under his pillow.

He handed it to the teacher and asked, "Do you know where all these passages lead, Professor?"

"Harry, you can call me Remus or Moony when we're not in class." Remus looked at the map, following Harry's finger to one of the secret passages, and said excitedly, "Harry, it shows much more than it had on it when we made the map. There are several passages with the respective passwords, which we didn't know at all and which we of course didn't add to the map. I believe that it's the castle's magic that shows these things to you."

Harry showed Remus the entrance to the passage leading to the Chamber of Secrets. "We explored this entrance last week, and it led to the Chamber of Secrets, where Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk lives." He told the teacher everything about their visit in the interesting chamber, until his voice became hoarse and Remus told him to lie down and rest.

"I have to return to my classroom anyway; my next class is going to start in ten minutes. The next time, I will tell you more of your parents," he promised, gently helping Harry to lie down.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

On Saturday morning after breakfast, Harry and his friends met in Harry's room. "Well, are we going to do some exploring today?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Will they let you go so soon again? After what happened last week?" Hermione asked concerned.

"Well, why not? I'm completely recovered, and I've already been attending classes for two days," Harry replied innocently, causing Julia and Ken to snort.

"Ah, by the way; Professor Lupin came to see me one day and told me that he was my Dad's best friend. He said they made the map together; however, the secret passages were not on the map when they made it, and I don't think anyone else added them, because Filch took the map off them, and we got it back from Filch. He thinks that the castle herself made her magic show the passages for us."

"Harry, are you sure that you don't have a fever?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"It's not so absurd," Ken countered immediately, causing Neville to nod his agreement. "Hogwarts is a powerful magical castle, and she'd well be able to do such a thing."

"Well, shall we go and explore another secret passage?" Harry asked impatiently. "I don't know if I have time tomorrow, because Severus wanted me to take him to the Chamber of Secrets, and knowing how eager he is to explore Salazar Slytherin's library, he'll want me to take him there soon."

"Okay, where do you suggest we go today?" Ken asked excitedly.

Harry hurriedly produced the map, and ten eyes tried to get a glimpse on it at the same time. "I think we could try this one out," Hermione pointed to one of the passwords that was written in normal English instead of Parseltongue like the other one. "Look, it starts near the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room."

"That should be another one, which the castle supplied. Professor Lupin told me that he knows a few passages." Harry pointed to the one-eyed witch. "For example, this leads to Hogsmeade, and this one leads right into the Shrieking Shack, this one into the Forbidden Forest, and this one is collapsed."

The five friends hurried through the halls in the direction of Ravenclaw and passed the common room. Soon, they found the portrait of a young wizard, who was feeding a raven. They told him the password, and the portrait opened, revealing a small path similar to the one that led to the Chamber of Secrets. The children lit their wands, and once more Ken led the way, while Harry went as the last.

Suddenly, the path ended in front of a life size portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw. "What do you want, children?" she asked with a stern expression that would make Minerva proud.

"We would like to see where this path leads," Hermione answered, watching the founder of her House in awe.

"If you believe that you're entitled to walk through here, you'll have to answer a question." Seeing that the children were looking at her expectantly, she demanded, "Tell me the birth date of my best friend, Helga Hufflepuff."

'_How are we supposed to know that?_' Harry thought, feeling slightly fooled by the portrait of the founder.

"Oh, please let us in. We know Helga Hufflepuff of course, she is the founder of my house, but how should we know her birth date?" Neville tried to talk the portrait into opening, but Rowena outright refused.

"Well, then we have to find that out," Hermione answered eagerly. "We will come back later."

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

The five children returned to Harry's room, very disappointed, and discussed how they could find out Helga Hufflepuff's birthday.

"I know what we can do," Harry suddenly spoke up. "Do you remember that there was the statue of Salazar Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets? We could go and ask him if he knew her birthday."

His friends groaned. "Do you really want to walk down all the way to the Chamber?" Julia asked.

"No," Harry replied softly.

Suddenly, Hermione slapped her hand against her forehead and sighed. "My, aren't we stupid. We can look it up in '_Hogwarts: A History_.' It should be listed there. Harry?"

Harry grabbed the requested book and handed it to Hermione. Everyone was watching her, while she eagerly turned the first pages of her favourite book. "No, it doesn't say their birth dates," she finally spoke up, disappointed.

"Then I will go and ask Salazar; I have to take Severus there anyway; but not today. Somehow, I'm already tired," Harry replied.

"Why don't we just go out to the lake and rest for a while? It's beautiful outside," Ken suggested, noticing that Harry looked very pale.

Everyone agreed immediately, and the children spent the morning out near the lake, until Severus walked near-by and sneered, "You'll be in so much trouble if you don't show up at the Great Hall within minutes. Lunch has already started."

Harry let out a huge gasp. "I have to run; McGonagall threatened to ground me for a week if I missed a meal." He stormed up in the direction of the entrance doors, and everyone followed him chuckling.

At the door leading to the Great Hall, Harry turned to Severus, who had easily caught up with him with long strides and billowing robes. "Can we go to the Chamber of Secrets tomorrow, please? I have to ask Salazar something."

Severus gave him a piercing look before he replied. "No Harry; I'm sorry, but I don't think that you're in a condition to go there again so soon. Let's wait a few days."

Later in the evening, Severus came into Harry's room, where Minerva was sitting with Harry after Poppy had applied his ear salve. "Harry?" he asked tentatively.

Harry lazily opened his eyes and gave him a bleary look. "Hmm?"

Severus threw Minerva a glance, who solemnly shook her head. '_Maybe I was right, and his condition isn't good yet_,' he thought and used telepathy to ask the child, 'Harry, what is it that you need to ask Salazar Slytherin?'

"We wanted to explore another passage this morning," Harry began to speak. "However, after a few metres there was a portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw, and she told us that she would only let us through, if we could tell her the birth date of Helga Hufflepuff."

"So you thought to ask Salazar Slytherin about it?" Severus enquired.

"Yes," Harry replied, looking between his two guardians.

"I assume you couldn't find it in 'Hogwarts: A History'?" Minerva asked softly.

"No, that's where we looked first," Harry told her.

"There's a portrait of Salazar Slytherin in the dungeons. Shall I go and ask him?" Severus suggested and, seeing that Harry's face lit up for a moment, he strode back into his quarters to access the dungeons. A few minutes later, he was back, smirking. "I asked him, but he only knew the date and not the year of her birth. The date was April 18th, but that's all I know."

"I will see if I can find anything about it," Minerva promised. "However, I think you should try to sleep, Harry."

"Okay, good night," Harry mumbled, obediently closing his eyes.

Minerva turned to Severus, whispering, "Poppy told me he was having a slight temperature tonight."

"He didn't look well when I saw him at lunchtime," Severus whispered back.

"However, his hearing abilities seem to have made great progress, thanks to your new salve."

"Thank God; that's what he needs. I have the impression that he's able to understand everything in class now. I will still work on the salve though. Moreover, I will have to come up with something to improve his poor immune system, and that will be much more difficult," Severus replied darkly.

"I'm sure you will manage to invent something," Minerva said softly, gently patting her younger colleague's arm.

"I'm sorry for being such a burden," Harry suddenly mumbled in his sleep, causing his guardians to give him a horrified look.

"Harry?" Minerva called out softly, only to notice that the child seemed to be fast asleep.

'You are not, nor will you ever be a burden to anyone, Harry. We love you, and we're glad to have you here,' Severus thought into Harry's mind, and the two teachers watched amazed how a small smile appeared on Harry's lips.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Until the beginning of the winter holidays, they still hadn't been able to find out Helga Hufflepuff's birth year. In the meantime, they explored all the other passages the map listed, but none of them led to any interesting place. Most of them had collapsed over the years or merely led into the forest.

Finally, there were only two passages left; the one where Rowena Ravenclaw prevented them from going any further as long as they weren't able to do 'more proper research on the founders' like she told them bluntly when they pleaded her to let them in for the third time, and one, which had its entrance just between the headmaster's office and Harry's room. Normally, they used the Saturdays to explore the castle, while they had to do their homework on Sunday. However, during the last weeks there had been several Quidditch matches, which had prevented them from exploring the last passage before the beginning of the holidays.

"Let's do it today," Harry told his friends, when they met in the Great Hall for an early breakfast as usual. If they ate breakfast early, when most students were still asleep or at least in their dormitories, they were able to sit all together at a random house table.

"After the last afternoon class; that would be an idea," Ken agreed thoughtfully.

"Harry, are you in a condition to attend classes at all let alone go explore the castle?" Julia spoke up, watching her friend in concern. "You don't look well at all."

"I don't feel very well," Harry admitted in a small voice, continuing to push his food around the plate. "However, it's not so bad, and it's the last day of classes anyway. Plus, tomorrow, you'll all be gone," he added sadly.

"Well, Madam Pomfrey is going to check on you when she gives you the ear salve after lunch, isn't she?" Hermione asked. Seeing that Harry was nodding, she suggested, "Let's meet in Harry's room after classes, and if he's well enough, we'll explore the last passage today. I will try to think of a method to find something out about Madam Hufflepuff during the holidays. Maybe I can convince my parents to take me to Flourish & Blotts, so that I can have a look there."

"That's a good idea," Neville acknowledged.

"All right, let's go," Harry urged his friends, seeing that the Great Hall was getting crowded, and stood up, ignoring Julia's glare that told him he should have better eaten a bit of his breakfast.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Poppy asked before she applied the ear salve. "You are running a temperature. It's not too high to apply the ear salve; however, I'm wondering if you should attend your afternoon classes." She glanced at Minerva, and both of them gave Harry a piercing look.

"It's all right; I don't care about History of Magic, but I'd like to attend Transfiguration in the last class," Harry replied tiredly.

"All right then, Harry. Try to sleep, and I'll wake you up in time for Transfiguration," Minerva promised and proceeded to hold Harry's hand, while Poppy applied the ear salve.

HP

Later in the afternoon, the five friends met in Harry's room, and Harry convinced them to go and explore the last corridor except for the one near Ravenclaw. "However, we have to watch the time and return on time for dinner," Harry said darkly. "Otherwise, McGonagall and Pomfrey are likely to kill me."

"All right, we will keep the time in mind," Ken promised and led the group through the entrance behind a portrait near Harry's room, stopping dead in his tracks as he passed the portrait hole.

The others squeezed themselves through the portrait hole as well and found themselves in a small, round hall with several doors on both sides.

* * *

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"Oops; is that all?" Neville asked, a slightly disappointed look on his face.

"Well, then let's try out where these doors lead," Hermione suggested, and the others agreed.

Ken stepped to the first door on the left hand and tried to open it, surprised when the door opened just like a normal door. "This looks like the dungeons," he said thoughtfully, glancing around.

Harry carefully stepped around the door without closing it and looked at the outside, seeing a portrait of a wizard with a snake head. "Will you let us back in afterwards?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, if you know the password," the snake headed wizard replied. "It's the same, which you used when you entered the hall from where ever you came from."

"I know where we are," Ken suddenly blurted out. "Look, over there is the entrance to the Slytherin common room." He turned to the wizard in the portrait. "Are the doors here all leading to the different houses?"

"Yes, that would be correct," the wizard said thoughtfully. "The founders used this path as a shortcut between the headmaster's office and the four houses. You're the first people coming out of the path since the time of the founders, and I've been here since the time when Godric Gryffindor made the shortcut and Salazar Slytherin placed me here to guard it."

"Would you mind if my friend Ken used the path to get from my room back to Slytherin?" Harry enquired, considering just how much time it would save his friend every evening if he could use the shortcut to get back to his common room.

"I don't mind if it's only the five of you; however, I wouldn't want all the students to know about the path," the wizard replied.

"We won't tell anyone," Julia promised. "Now, shall we go and see where the other doors lead? I'd like to use the shortcut to Gryffindor if possible."

The five friends thanked the friendly portrait and headed back into the hall, where Neville went ahead and opened the next door on the same side. "Oh, this is near the Ravenclaw common room," Hermione told them as soon as she spotted the portrait of the witch with a raven on her shoulder.

"How did you manage to come here?" the witch asked surprised. "You're the first ones..."

"since the time of the founders, we know," Hermione interrupted her quickly. "The castle told our friend the passwords to all the hidden passages. Would you mind me using this shortcut passage to return to my common room in the evenings?"

"No, of course not. As long as you don't wake me up in the middle of the night each night I'll be fine," the witch replied gently, stroking the raven's head feathers.

As was to be expected, the two other doors let to Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. "Well, that's really good. That gives us additional fifteen minutes each evening," Julia said contentedly.

"All right; I think it's time to head to the Great Hall for dinner," Ken interrupted the general musings about their success, leading the way to the door that brought them near Harry's room.

"Oh, I just forgot... Go ahead; I'll be there in two minutes," Harry said all of a sudden and ran back through the Hufflepuff door. "I'm sorry," he spoke to the witch on the portrait, "Do you by chance know the birth date of Helga Hufflepuff?"

"Of course I know that," the witch answered, sounding slightly offended. "Helga was my best friend, and her birthday was on August 26, 1000."

"Thank you so much!" Harry thanked the witch gently and ran back after the others, who were still waiting for him where he had left them.

"Where did you go?" Hermione enquired curiously.

Harry quickly decided to ignore the question in order to surprise his friends at the next opportunity and merely answered, "I'm not hungry. I will go back to my room."

"No you will not," Ken replied sternly. "You will accompany us to the Great Hall and join one of us even if you aren't hungry. Or you can speak to your guardians or Madam Pomfrey, and if they let you go, you can go back to your room."

"You talk like your head of house," Harry complained grumpily but grudgingly complied, knowing that he wouldn't have a chance getting away from his friends. Suddenly, he remembered that they would all go home the next morning and groaned.

"What's wrong?" Julia asked worriedly.

"You're going home tomorrow morning, and after dinner, we don't have much time," Harry said disappointed. "I know her birth date, and we could go explore the passage," he admitted sadly.

"You know what?!" his friends asked simultaneously.

"Well, I spoke with the witch guarding the exit on the Hufflepuff side, and she was a good friend of Helga Hufflepuff," Harry replied.

"We could go straight after dinner, or we could miss dinner and go right away," Neville suggested.

"No, if we miss dinner, they will come to my room and look for us, and when we'll be gone for hours, they'll be worried and we get into trouble," Harry replied impatiently.

"Well, we can go right after dinner then," Hermione spoke up, eager to explore the secret channel of her house's founder.

"I don't think that we'll be back on time. Don't forget that Harry has to be back half an hour before us," Ken reminded her. "And we don't want to get Harry in trouble, especially as they already know that he's not really well today."

"Maybe we can go during the night?" Harry all of a sudden asked. "For example at midnight, or even later like at two in the morning. That should be early enough in order to be back in time for breakfast."

"A good idea. Let's meet at two o'clock in the morning in the secret hall that leads to all the houses," Julia replied enthusiastically.

Everyone agreed to this plan, and they quickly continued their way down to the Great Hall, where Harry joined Ken at the Slytherin table for dinner.

'Harry, are you feeling all right?' suddenly Severus' voice penetrated his ear. 'You're not eating anything.'

'Not really; may I be excused from dinner?' Harry asked back, not feeling hungry at all.

'Go back to your room and lie down; I will make Poppy look after you as soon as dinner is finished,' Severus replied, and Harry quickly explained to Ken that Severus had allowed him to leave.

"Harry will you be able to set your alarm clock? Won't they notice? And will you be well enough at all?" Ken asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure," Harry admitted. "Do you think you could come to my room and wake me up?"

"Yes, I'll do that," Ken promised, and Harry gratefully left the room.

When Minerva and Poppy entered Harry's room twenty minutes later, the boy was already fast asleep. "He obviously isn't well if he's asleep at that time of the evening," Minerva said concerned. "Do we have to wake him up for the ear salve?"

Poppy quickly checked on Harry and replied, "We can't give it to him tonight anyway; he's running a fever. I'll spell a fever reducing potion into his stomach, and we'll just let him sleep. At least he was reasonable enough to go to bed."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry didn't notice that the teachers checked on him several times during the evening; he only woke up when Ken lightly shook his shoulder at two o'clock in the morning. "Harry, wake up. Are you feeling well enough to come with us?" the boy asked just loud enough so that Harry could hear him.

Harry lazily sat up and groaned. "I don't feel too well, but I don't want to miss the event. We finally have the date, and it's the last of the secret corridors that we have to explore. Give me a minute, and then we can go."

Five minutes later, the five friends met in the small secret hall, turning to the door leading to Ravenclaw. They headed down through the corridor until they reached the portrait of Rowena.

"Oh, it's you again. I won't tell you anything," she told them, an annoyed expression on her face.

"I believe you wanted us to tell you something," Ken replied haughtily, raising an eyebrow.

"When was Helga Hufflepuff born?" she snarled impatiently.

"On the 26th of August, 1000," Harry replied, noticing that his voice was starting to fail.

Rowena's expression changed to one of surprise. "Correct," she replied and slowly let them in. "Well, have fun," she added, smirking.

"Thank you," Hermione answered gratefully, and the five friends walked ahead.

However, only two minutes later, the passage ended in front of a stone wall. They tried to touch several bricks of the wall, but it didn't budge. "Maybe we have to touch them in a special way like the wall in Diagon Alley," Neville mused aloud. "But how do we know in which way?"

The five friends exchanged helpless glances.

* * *

_Thanks for your many kind reviews!_

_I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes – or correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Harry sat down onto the floor, leaning his achy head against the wall. He was just slowly closing his eyes, we he suddenly recognized letters on the opposite wall. "Scientia coloris," he slowly spelled.

"Knowledge of the colour," Hermione translated. "The colour of Ravenclaw is blue, but what are we going to do with that knowledge?"

An hour of intense thinking later, Julia suddenly spoke up, "Maybe we have to touch the bricks in the sequel of the letters. I mean the second for the 'b', then the twelfth for the 'l', and so on."

A multiple groan was the answer, but everyone agreed that it was at least a possibility they had to try out. Since Harry had drifted away to sleep, the other four busied themselves counting the letters within the alphabet and counting the bricks on the wall.

Finally, Ken pointed his wand to the respective bricks, and the wall opened, revealing a huge library, nearly as large as the Hogwarts library. Hermione and Neville eagerly stormed into the room, letting their eyes wander around the library that was filled with thousands of books.

"What are we going to do with Harry?" Julia asked, giving Ken a questioning look.

"Just let him sleep for the moment; we're right here," Ken replied calmingly. "What I'm thinking about is... Do you think something would happen if we tapped the bricks for the colour yellow or red? I mean, Salazar Slytherin has his own library in the Chamber of Secrets, but so far, we didn't find a library belonging to Godric Gryffindor or Helga Hufflepuff."

"That could be possible," Julia replied pensively, crouching next to Harry. "Ken, why don't you call the others out of the library for a moment and try it out? I'm going to take Harry back to his room; he's burning up."

"All right, Julia; will you be okay, or should I come with you?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I think we'll be all right," Julia replied and proceeded to wake Harry up. "Let me take you back to your room, sweetie," she told him softly, carefully helping him up.

"Sorry," Harry apologized, feeling absolutely horrible. Barely noticing that Julia steadied him the whole way, he dragged himself back through the hidden hall to his room, where the girl helped him into his bed.

"Harry, shall I call Madam Pomfrey for you?" Julia asked softly.

"No, I'll be fine. How do you want to explain that you're in my room at whatever time it is now?"

"I know that we'll be in trouble, but frankly speaking I don't mind. Your health is much more important, sweetie." She picked up the thermometer from the night table and motioned Harry to open his mouth, so that she could take his temperature. While they were waiting, she picked up the cloth and quickly spoke a refreshing charm on it that Minerva had taught her a while ago and carefully bathed Harry's hot face. "40.5," she said horrified. "Harry, I have to call Madam Pomfrey."

"No Julia, don't. It's all right. Can you give me a fever reducer from the bookshelf over there please?"

Julia went to look for the correct potion and returned with a small phial. She gently helped Harry to sit up a bit before she pressed the phial to his lips, watching as the boy greedily gulped down the cool liquid. "Better?" she asked gently, slightly relieved when Harry gave her a small smile.

"Thank you, Julia. Can you stay with me for a while?" he whispered hesitantly.

"Of course, sweetie; I'm going to stay with you until the morning, and then I'm going to call your mum. Now try to sleep for a while," Julia replied softly and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before she began to bathe his hot face once more, noticing that Harry felt comfortable enough to fall asleep under her cold touch. She remained the whole night at his side, watching him sleep. A few times, she had to wake him up from fever induced nightmares; at other times she anxiously stuck the thermometer under his armpit when he seemed overly hot to her touch.

It was nearly six o'clock in the morning when she once more pulled his pyjama top down his shoulder to take his temperature and noticed that the upper part of his arm was full of small pustules. '_I wonder what that is; maybe he has the measles or something_,' she mused worriedly. Deciding that it was still too early to call someone, she laid her head next to Harry's on the bed, suddenly feeling very tired.

An hour later, Harry woke up, feeling worse than the night before. Surprised, he noticed that Julia was asleep sitting on the edge of his bed with her head right next to his own. '_Poor Julia; she stayed with me the whole night_,' he thought in concern, but before he could wake her up, he drifted off to sleep again. Unbeknownst to Julia and Harry, she had given him the fever reducer that was laced with a sleeping draught.

Only a short time later, Minerva entered the room, concerned because Harry had been so unwell the evening before. Extremely surprised to see Julia sleeping beside Harry, she lightly shook the girl's shoulder. "Ms. White, what are you doing here?" she asked sternly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Professor; I woke up during the night and remembered how sick Harry was yesterday; so I decided to look after him, and then he asked me to stay with him. He is very unwell, and he has a fever of more than forty degrees. I took his temperature a few times during the night, and I had to wake him up from fever induces nightmares several times. He asked me to give him a fever reducer at about three o'clock, and I complied, but his fever is already up again. He also has a few small, red pustules on his arm," she told her head of house, carefully pulling Harry's pyjama top down to show the teacher what she meant.

"Thank you, Ms. White, for looking after Harry although you should have called me or Madam Pomfrey immediately," Minerva replied sternly. "I'm going to get Madam Pomfrey."

"All right," Julia replied, glad that the teacher had believed her story. When the two ladies returned a few minutes later, she was once more bathing Harry's burning face.

Poppy waved her wand over Harry and sighed. "He has caught the wizard's measles," she finally said and turned to Julia. "Has anyone except for you touched Harry during the last twelve hours? Probably not, because he already went to bed at dinnertime, didn't he?"

Julia thought quickly but couldn't recall anyone physically touch the boy and shook her head. "Well, that's a relief," Poppy continued, knowing that Minerva and herself had come down with the wizard's measles before and were immune to the illness. "Have you caught the wizard's measles before?" she asked the student, who anxiously shook her head.

"No Madam Pomfrey, but the normal Muggle measles if that helps."

Poppy and Minerva exchanged a worried glance. "No, that's completely different. I'm very sorry, Ms. White, but in that case I cannot let you go home today. I have to keep you here in quarantine over the holidays," Poppy told the girl.

"Okay," Julia replied frightened, before she gave the adults a pleading glance. "Can I stay here with Harry?"

"As long as you're not sick, you may stay in my guest room again," Minerva replied. "During the day, you may of course spend some time with Harry, and in case you fall ill as well, we can think about letting you stay here in the same room, knowing that you would be in the same room together if you were in the hospital wing. However, you have to remain in Harry's room or my quarters at all times because of the quarantine. We will ask Professor Snape, if he already had the wizard's measles."

"I know for a fact that he had them," Poppy replied calmingly. "Well, you can be glad that Professor McGonagall already had them; otherwise you'd have to stay in the hospital wing for the time being. I will check on you at least twice a day, but if you notice that you're feeling unwell, you have to tell me immediately."

"All right," Julia replied in a small voice. "Will you contact my parents, Professor?"

"Of course; we can floo-call them together if you want." Minerva put an arm around the girl's shoulders and pulled her with her into her quarters to call her parents. "I'm sorry, Ms. White," she told the girl softly, seeing that tears were welling in her eyes.

"It's all right, Professor; I don't mind staying here, especially since I can stay with Harry; I'm only sorry for my parents. And well, we will miss Christmas completely, won't we?"

"No." Minerva smiled at her student. "We will have Christmas either in my quarters or in Harry's room, depending on your and Harry's condition next week. Don't worry about that now, and don't worry about getting the wizard's measles; you're not alone; Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape, and I will be here the whole time as will Harry of course. Now, seeing that you spent half the night awake looking after Harry, I suggest that you go to bed and sleep for a while. I will ask a house elf to bring your luggage down here later on."

"All right," Julia replied and followed the teacher into the guest room, feeling extremely tired and glad to be able to lie down. When Minerva tucked her in, she took the teacher's hand in her own and hesitantly asked, "Professor, could you perhaps call me by my given name, please, at least during the holidays?"

"All right, Julia, I will do so," Minerva promised, tentatively feeling the girl's forehead, before she left the room to head down to the Great Hall to inform Harry's friends that they wouldn't be able to see Julia and Harry before they left for the holidays.

Several hours later, Julia woke up, feeling completely refreshed and well rested, and headed over into Harry's room only to notice that his bed was empty. '_Maybe he is in the bathroom_,' she thought in concern, but when he didn't return after five minutes, she worriedly went back into Minerva's quarters.

* * *

_Thanks a lot for your many kind words concerning this story – I really appreciate them! I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes – or correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"Professor," Julia hesitantly addressed the teacher, who was sitting in the living room grading parchments, "where is Harry? He's not in his room."

"Ah, come here, Julia; Harry is sleeping in my bed. He came into my bed, half asleep, not noticing that I was already up and not there; and now he's fast asleep. Professor Snape will come and take him back into his own bed later on. Are you still feeling well?" She motioned the girl over and gently placed a hand on her forehead that fortunately felt cool to the touch.

"Very well," Julia replied. "I'm a bit hungry though."

"Of course; you didn't have breakfast at all, and it's already lunchtime. Let's head into my kitchen and have lunch," Minerva suggested, and Julia gratefully followed the teacher into her small kitchen, where the house elves brought lunch for them that would have been enough to feed all her friends. They quietly talked about Harry, Hogwarts, and Christmas, until Minerva told Julia, "I'd suggest that you start with your homework, if you feel well enough, knowing that you won't be able to do anything if you caught the disease from Harry. I put a spell on Harry that will alert us if he wakes up."

"Ah, all right," Julia replied. "Sorry, Professor, where should I do my homework?"

Minerva threw the girl a calming smile. "It's not the first time that you're staying here, is it? Make yourself comfortable and just sit down where you want. You can join me in the living room for example."

"If you're sure that you don't mind, Professor."

"I don't mind; otherwise, I wouldn't have suggested it. Moreover, since you're not here as my student but as my son's friend, you may call me by my given name during the holidays; there's no need to call me professor."

"Thank you," Julia replied gratefully and began with her Potions homework, until Minerva's spell alerted them to the fact that Harry was waking up.

"Harry is waking up; do you want to come?" Minerva asked gently.

"If you don't mind," Julia replied, hesitantly following the teacher into her bedroom.

"Sorry Mum," Harry mumbled hoarsely. "Thought you were here; I don't feel so good."

"It's all right, sweetie. You're very ill; you caught the wizard's measles, and you'll have to stay in bed for two or three weeks," Minerva explained patiently, sticking a thermometer under his armpit at the same time.

"Julia!" Harry suddenly gasped, trying to sit up but felt himself being pushed back down by Minerva, who quickly readjusted the thermometer. "Is it still so early? You're going home today, aren't you?"

"Julia has to stay here in quarantine, because she looked after you all night and might get the wizard's measles as well," Minerva explained.

"Oh no, Julia, I'm so sorry," Harry said, feeling absolutely horrified at the thought that his friend was going to miss her holidays with her parents because of his fault.

"Harry, it's not your fault, and I don't mind staying here with you. Your mother allowed me to stay in her guest room once more, and we'll be here together for Christmas; isn't that great?"

"Thanks Mum, thanks Julia," Harry croaked miserably, tiredly closing his achy eyes.

Suddenly Severus entered the room. "Hello Harry; how do you feel?"

"Not so good," Harry whispered hoarsely.

"I just made a healing salve for you. If the ladies could leave the room for a few minutes, I'd like to apply the salve immediately," Severus replied, motioning Minerva and Julia to leave the room.

"Be careful, Severus, I'm just taking his temperature," Minerva warned her colleague, before she left the room behind Julia.

Severus carefully lifted Harry's covers, causing the child to shiver violently. "Oh, I'm sorry, Harry," he apologized, quickly tucking him in again. "Let me start with your face. As soon as the reading is finished, I can give you a fever reducer, and then you won't be so cold anymore." He gently applied the salve to Harry's face and neck, glad when the thermometer beeped just when he was finished. "40.8," he read. "That's quite a fever. Harry, what exactly hurts?" he asked concerned.

"My head and my throat and ears, and my skin itches," Harry replied miserably.

"Well, maybe you have an ear infection additionally to the measles. I will ask Poppy to check on you. Here, take the fever reducer, and then I'll apply the healing salve." He helped Harry to sit up and swallow the potion, noticing that the child sighed in relief as he felt his body cool down. With a flick of his wand, he took the boy's pyjamas off, leaving him in his pants, and applied the salve that apart from his face so far had only spread over Harry's arms and legs. When Harry was dressed again, Severus asked softly, "Now Harry, shall I put you back into your own bed, or do you want to stay here with Minerva?"

"Do you think I could stay here? I don't want to be alone during the night," Harry replied in a small voice, causing Severus to give him an encouraging smile.

"I will ask Minerva, but I'm sure that she won't mind. If she doesn't want it for some reason, you can still come and stay with me," Severus replied gently and left the room.

"He'd like to stay with you in order not to be alone during the night," Severus told Minerva, knowing that the older woman enjoyed having Harry in her bed when he was sick and in need of a mother.

"He's so sweet, especially when he's sick," Julia giggled, causing Minerva to grin.

"Indeed he is, and of course he can stay with me."

'You may stay where you are, Harry. Now try to sleep a bit,' Severus thought to Harry, before he headed back into his rooms.

"Do you want to keep Harry company for a while?" Minerva suggested, and Julia sat down on the edge of Harry's bed, speaking softly with him, while she carefully stroked his hot face with her cool hands.

"Did you find something out last night?" Harry asked in a small voice. "I'm sorry, I can't remember what happened. We went there, didn't we?"

"Yes, we found Rowena's library, but then the two of us headed back, because you were unwell, and I don't know what the others found out, since I wasn't allowed to go and meet them this morning after they found out that you have the wizard's measles."

"But why only you and not the others?" Harry asked confused.

"Because they didn't touch you," Julia explained patiently. "By the way, Harry, I've one problem. Since I didn't intend to stay here over Christmas, I only have a present for you but not for the professors. Is there any possibility to ask one of the house elves to buy something?"

"Oh no!" Harry groaned. "Severus promised to go to Hogsmeade with me before Christmas, so that I could buy presents. But I don't think they'll let me go now."

"Of course they won't, Harry," Julia said exasperated.

"Wait, I'll ask Severus," Harry promised and thought, 'Severus, Julia and I both need Christmas presents for everyone. Do you think we could brew something?'

'You mean for Minerva or Poppy?' Severus asked back.

'Yes, and for you,' Harry smirked.

'Well, you're in no condition to brew potions, but your friend may come over, so that we can discuss what she wants to brew.'

'All right, I'll send her over then,' Harry replied and told Julia, "He said you should come over, so that you could discuss what you wanted to brew. You can brew ginger nuts or a potion to put into their tea or something like that. Concerning Severus' present, we can ask Minerva later on."

"Are you all right on your own, sweetie? Try to sleep for a while," Julia told him, before she hesitantly placed a small kiss on his forehead.

"Have fun, Julia," Harry croaked, closing his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips.

A few minutes later, Minerva entered the room. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I have to go to speak with the headmaster for a few minutes; will you be all right on your own?"

"Of course, Mum," Harry replied, an idea forming in his head. He listened intensely, while Minerva stepped into the fireplace, calling out "Headmaster's office," before he scrambled out of bed, lightly holding on to the wall until the dizziness passed, and slowly left the room.

* * *

_I know this chapter isn't very eventful, but I promise the next one (tomorrow) will be better!_

_Thanks a lot for your many kind words concerning this story – I really appreciate them! I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes – or correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Harry slowly walked over into Severus' private lab, finding it empty. '_The Potions classroom it is then_,' he thought, dragging himself through Severus' office into the classroom, where Julia and Severus were still discussing what Julia could brew for Minerva and Poppy.

"Harry!" Julia and Severus shouted simultaneously, seeing Harry step into the room.

"I want to help; I mean... I need presents too, and we could brew them together," he explained hoarsely, letting himself sink on a near-by chair.

"Harry, you're in no condition to brew potions, and you belong into bed right now," Severus told the boy sternly.

"I know but..."

"No Harry, I'm sorry, but I cannot let you brew potions," Severus repeated firmly.

"Maybe he could lie down on the sofa, so that we can look through the recipes together, Professor?" Julia asked hesitantly.

"All right, go and lie down on the sofa in the living room, Harry," Severus grudgingly agreed.

During the next hour, the two friends were busy looking through lots of potions recipes and finally decided that Julia could brew ginger chocolates for Minerva and fruit drops for Poppy. Harry also found two recipes of potions, which he wanted to brew. Both were potions, which they could use in their tea, one with ginger flavour for Minerva and one with fruit flavour for Poppy.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but as I told you, you cannot brew these potions today. If your condition improves before Christmas, you may brew them; otherwise, you can give them a voucher and tell them you'll brew the potions as soon as you can. Now, Ms. White, you can return to the classroom and begin to fetch the ingredients; I will put Harry to bed, and then I'll help you."

While Julia headed back into the classroom, Severus scooped Harry up into his arms and carried him back into Minerva's bedroom. A few minutes later, Minerva came and sat down next to him.

"I just met Severus when I came back. Is everything all right, sweetie?"

"Yes, but Julia is brewing potions for Christmas presents with him and he told me I can't help, but I have to make Christmas presents too. Severus promised me to take me to Hogsmeade next week, but now I can't go," Harry whispered, giving his adoptive mother a sad look.

"Harry, that's all right. You're ill, and everyone will understand that you can't make or buy Christmas presents in your condition. Try to rest and get well as soon as possible; everything else is not important." She carefully bathed his hot face with a cool cloth before she adjusted it to his forehead and continued to speak to Harry in a small voice, until he slowly drifted off to sleep.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Harry remained very ill for a few days, and Minerva and Julia took turns keeping him company whenever he was awake. When he woke up on Christmas Eve, his ear infection had improved a lot, causing his fever to come down a bit, and he felt much better. However, the wizard's measles were still getting worse and Harry had a rash over his whole body. '_Maybe I should return to my own bed_,' he thought guiltily, '_Minerva will surely want to have her bed for herself_.'

Julia so far hadn't come down with the wizard's measles; however, Poppy had told her that the incubation time lasted up to a week and that it was too early to get her hopes up.

Unbeknownst to Harry, Minerva had asked Hagrid for a Christmas tree for her living room, and while Harry was asleep during the afternoon of Christmas Eve, Minerva taught Julia how to decorate a Christmas tree with Charms and Transfiguration methods. The two women had much fun, and when they were finally finished, they were very proud of their beautiful tree.

"Hi sweetie, happy Christmas," Julia told Harry and placed a small kiss on his forehead, when he woke up on Christmas morning.

"Merry Christmas, Julia," Harry answered tiredly, reaching for his glasses.

"How are you feeling, Harry? Do you feel well enough to get up for a short while?"

"About like I felt yesterday," Harry mumbled. "Can you give me my potion, or do I have to get up straight away?"

"Oh well, you have to wait for Madam Pomfrey I'm afraid; I just can't wait to show you something."

Harry looked astonished at his friend. '_She seems so excited today_,' he thought surprised, knowing that Julia was normally very calm. Suddenly, he felt something else, a feeling that he'd never known so far. He felt the urge to pull her close and kiss her back. '_I love her_,' he thought. '_But is that love?_' Very hesitantly, he extended her hands to her cheeks, gently pulling her face close until it was near enough for him to quickly kiss her on the cheek.

Julia blushed deeply and Harry saw that her eyes lit in obvious delight. She put her head on his chest and whispered, "I love you, Harry."

Harry suddenly felt heat creep up into his head. "Julia," he whispered back. "I don't know. I have feelings for you, which I don't have for anyone else. I don't know if it's love, but I like you very much. I... Um... I would like you to be my girlfriend, if you wanted that too."

Julia sat up excitedly, giving him a worried look. "Do you really mean that, Harry? I mean, it's not only because of your fever, is it?"

Harry smiled at the girl and said as warm as it was possible in his hoarse voice, "No Julia, I really mean it."

"Then I'd love to be your girlfriend," Julia replied happily, pulling Harry in a bear's hug, just when Minerva entered the room.

"Mum, Julia has agreed to become my girlfriend," Harry croaked happily, noticing that Minerva's expression softened to a wide smile.

"Congratulations, Harry, Julia," she said gently. "That's indeed good news on this fine Christmas morning."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Twenty minutes later, Julia, Harry, Minerva, Poppy, Severus, and Albus sat in Minerva's living room for a huge Christmas breakfast right next to the beautiful Christmas tree. Not feeling inclined to eat anything except for a few pieces of fruit anyway, Harry couldn't take his eyes of the tree. "It's beautiful," he whispered, "absolutely gorgeous."

After breakfast, Harry was instructed to lie down on the sofa, and since Julia was the next youngest, she was told to fetch everyone's presents from under the tree. She obediently searched under the tree studying the name tags until she had found a present for everyone and curiously opened the one with her own name on it. It was from Minerva and contained a book, '_Charms and Transfiguration for Decoration Purposes_.' "Oh, that's absolutely brilliant!" she said excitedly. "Thank you so much, Professor!"

Harry received a self-made book from Severus, '_Delicious Potions for Pleasure_,' which contained all the potion recipes to make sweets or liquids to put into tea that Severus had been able to lay his hands on. "Thanks a lot, Severus," Harry told the man gratefully, before he lay back exhaustedly.

While the others continued to open their presents, Minerva turned to Severus, who was sitting next to her on the sofa, right beside Harry. "Severus, it doesn't have to be today of course, but I need you to have a conversation with Harry about the birds and the bees. I will speak with Julia about it."

"All right, but they are a bit young, aren't they?" he asked astonished. As Slytherin head of house, he normally had this conversation every year with his third year boys, while he regularly sent the girls to Poppy at the same time.

"Well, yes, but... Julia, Harry, would you mind telling the others about the good news you told me this morning?"

"Kay," Harry mumbled sleepily, while Julia blushed deeply but replied, "I don't mind, Professor."

"Well, Julia and Harry decided this morning to become girlfriend and boyfriend," Minerva informed her three colleagues, thinking that the two, as young as they were, made a good couple.

Minerva and Severus both used a quiet time in the afternoon to speak with the two happy children about the birds and the bees. Afterwards, both children spent the time until Christmas dinner, which once more took place in Minerva's quarters, in Harry's room. Julia was sitting on the edge of his bed, speaking with him in a small voice and kissing his cheeks from time to time.

In the middle of the night, Harry woke up hearing strange sounds from Julia's room. He quickly put on his glasses and hurried into Minerva's quarters, holding on to the wall as he went.

* * *

_Well, I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks a lot for your many kind words concerning this story – I really appreciate them! I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes – or correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

When Harry entered Julia's room, she was coughing vehemently. He quickly sat down on the edge of her bed, giving her a horrified look. "Julia, are you all right? Are you feeling sick?" he asked hoarsely, before he worriedly examined her face, noticing that she was very pale and her cheeks looked flushed.

"I don't know; I don't feel so well, but I don't feel really sick either," Julia replied in a small voice.

Harry carefully put a hand on her forehead, but it felt cool to the touch. '_Well, I had nearly forty degrees of fever in the evening; so she would feel cool even if she had quite a fever_,' he mused and quickly summoned the thermometer from his own room.

"Julia, let me take your temperature," he coaxed her into opening her mouth and carefully stuck the thermometer under her tongue, before he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. While they were waiting, he summoned the cool cloth that he always used and gently adjusted it to her forehead. After an infinite time, he took the thermometer back and frowned. "38.2," he read. "It's not too high, but it's a fever. Shall I call Madam Pomfrey, or do you want to wait until the morning?"

"Let's wait," Julia replied, and Harry noticed that her voice was getting hoarse too.

"I'm so sorry, Julia. I hoped you wouldn't get the measles from me."

"It's all right, Harry. See, if I hadn't been with you that night, I wouldn't have caught the wizard's measles, but we wouldn't be girlfriend and boyfriend right now, would we?"

"That's true," Harry had to admit. "Do you want me to give you a fever reducer? It's only three o'clock in the morning; so it will be about four hours until Madam Pomfrey comes."

"No Harry, thanks. It's not so bad; but you should go back to bed. You still feel very hot to the touch and you're shivering." She eyed him worriedly.

"I'm fine. I'll just get my covers. I'll be back in a minute." When he came back, he brought his bed covers and a glass of water. Gently helping the girl to sit up, he pressed the glass against her lips and watched how she greedily gulped down the cool liquid. "Hey, don't drink too fast," he admonished her lightly and proceeded to only let her have small sips.

Tightly wrapped into his bed covers, Harry spent the rest of the night sitting on the edge of Julia's bed, bathing her face with the cool cloth every now and then. Only a few minutes before seven o'clock in the morning she woke up again, astonished to see Harry sit on the edge of her bed when she lazily opened her eyes. "Harry, have you been sitting here all night?" she asked terrified.

"That's all right, I'm fine," Harry replied gently, although he wanted nothing more than go to bed and rest his achy head on his pillow. "How are you feeling?" he asked worriedly.

"My head and my throat hurt a bit," Julia replied hoarsely and gently pulled him close to kiss him on the cheek.

"Then let's see if you have a fever," Harry decided and motioned her to open her mouth.

"No, I want to be able to kiss you," Julia replied giggling, pulling her pyjama top down over her shoulder. Harry hesitantly extended his hand to stick the thermometer under her armpit, stopping dead in his tracks when she captured his hand with her own. "Your hands feel so soft on my skin; I love you Harry," she whispered.

"I love you too," Harry whispered back and leaned over to kiss her cheek again, resting his head next to hers on the pillow for a short while until the thermometer beeped. "39.1," Harry told her, frowning. "That's a lot higher than before, Julia. I'm going to fetch Madam Pomfrey." He placed another kiss on her forehead, surprised that it still felt cool to the touch and dragged himself over to the hospital wing to call Poppy.

Twenty minutes later, Minerva conjured a second bed in Harry's room, and Poppy gently helped Julia into bed, tucking her in tightly. "You probably won't get it as bad as Harry, because your immune system is stronger; nevertheless, you have to stay in bed, especially when your fever is so high," she gently told the girl, before she turned to Harry and waved her wand over him. "40.8," she gasped, throwing Minerva a terrified glance. "Harry, what did you do to aggravate your condition so much?"

Seeing that Harry couldn't be bothered to even open his eyes, Julia replied, "I'm sorry; apparently, he stayed the last few hours with me and looked after me while I was asleep. I only realized that when he was still there when I woke up in the morning."

"That's not your fault, Julia," Minerva replied calmingly and conjured a cool cloth for Julia's forehead. "Try to sleep for a while; maybe you'll both feel better later, so that you can talk for a while."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During the next week, Julia and Harry both were very ill and were confined to bed the whole time. Only sometimes, one or the other scrambled out of bed to sit on the edge of the other bed, so that they could exchange a kiss and softly stroke the other's cheeks. Sometimes, when Julia was sitting on the edge of his bed, shivering, Harry was tempted to pull her into his bed, so that she could rest next to him; however, after the stern talk he had received from Severus on Christmas day, he dare not lie in a bed together with her.

As the holidays came to an end, Poppy told them that they had to remain in bed for at least one more week, probably two. Feeling very icky with their rash over their whole body and the fever that was still quite high, they both knew better than to complain; however, they could only sleep so much, and since they were not allowed to read, they were slowly getting bored.

One day, Harry had an idea. When they woke up during the night at the same time like they often did when one of them had a coughing fit, Harry croaked, "Julia, are you awake?"

"Yes Harry, are you all right?" she replied worriedly, coughing a few times.

"Yes, I'm fine. I have an idea. Do you feel well enough for a small walk?"

"A walk?" Julia asked incredulously.

Harry let out a few harsh coughs before he continued, "I thought we could go into Filch's office and see if we can find more interesting parchments. You know, I only applied the spell on one side of the room, but he has drawers on three sides of his office."

"Is your fever spiking, or what is wrong, Harry? We're in quarantine; you know that, don't you?" Julia asked disbelievingly.

"Julia, it's two o'clock in the morning, and even Severus has already gone to bed. He was here to look after us an hour ago, and he always does that right before he goes to bed. So we won't meet anyone. Plus, in order to give the illness to someone, this someone has to physically touch one of us."

"Okay," Julia sighed. "Do you want to go immediately?"

"If you feel well enough, why not?"

They quietly put their robes over their pyjamas and headed down the staircase to the caretaker's office. Fortunately, they didn't meet anyone, and Harry quickly cast the spell on the drawers on the two other sides of the room, collecting two huge piles of parchments. Julia hurriedly cast a shrinking spell on the parchments, so that Harry could hide them in his robe pocket.

"All right; let's go," Harry whispered, pulling Julia close as they left the office, so that they could steady each other.

"Harry," Julia whispered, when they crossed the entrance hall. "I know that this is completely stupid, but I'd love to go to the lake, just for a few minutes."

"I'd love that too," Harry replied gently, pulling her into a kiss. "However, it'll be very cold outside."

"That's all right; I'm so hot," Julia complained, before she gave Harry a piercing look. "You aren't cold, are you?"

"No; let's go," Harry said quickly, pulling her to the door. '_I will transform a stone into a warm blanket_,' he decided, while they slowly walked in the direction of the lake.

They sat down next to the lake, their backs against a tree, huddled close to each other. "Oh, I thought it would be warmer," Julia croaked, her teeth chattering from the cold.

"It's all right, Julia," Harry replied and quickly transformed a brown leaf of the tree behind them into a warm blanked, carefully throwing it over both of them. He pulled his girlfriend close and gently stroked her cheeks. "Better now?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"Yes, much better," Julia replied, cuddling close to Harry to crave the warmth of his body, and rested her head on his chest. "Look, sweetie, the stars. There are so many tonight; it's absolutely gorgeous!"

"Yes it is," Harry agreed, not noticing that his head slowly sank down until it came to lie on top of Julia's head, when both of them drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Thanks a lot for your many kind words concerning this story – I really appreciate them! I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes – or correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Harry's mind slowly turned back to awareness when he felt someone shake his shoulder and his arm several times. '_Oh no! We fell asleep here on the grounds_,' he thought horrified and looked up when a small voice penetrated his ears.

"Master Harry and Mistress Julia needs to go inside, sir. It's too colds to sleeps out on the grounds in winter," the small elf told him, bowing deeply, before he popped away.

Harry looked around in fascination. It was just getting light, and the sky held a soft pink colour. "Julia, look; it's beautiful," he whispered excitedly, causing his girlfriend to wake up, confused.

"Oh right, we came out here during the night," she replied, coughing a few times.

Cuddled close to each other, the two children watched as the sun slowly rose behind the lake, totally amazed by the beautiful sight and not even noticing that they were shivering from the cold. Hardly able to avert his eyes from the lake, Harry leaned over to Julia, who turned to face him at the same time, searching his mouth with hers to pull him into a long kiss.

'_I'm so happy_,' Harry thought, when he had to pull off due to the lack of air. "Thanks Julia for being my girlfriend," he whispered. "I'm very happy."

"I hope Ken and the others won't mind," Julia replied thoughtfully. "But on the other hand, I don't really care. I'm very happy too, Harry."

"I think we should go back to my room," Harry said slowly, not wanting to leave the spot at all. "We can't risk meeting anyone, and we should be back before my parents notice that we left my room."

"That's true, and it's really cold here," Julia agreed, shivering.

Harry quickly banished the warm blanket, and the two hurried back to the castle, only now noticing how cold it really was. By the time they reached Harry's room, they were absolutely exhausted and were sneezing and coughing continuously. "I'm sorry Julia; I shouldn't have coaxed you into going for a walk," Harry whispered miserably.

"It's not your fault, sweetie; I was the one, who wanted to go outside, remember?" Julia replied hoarsely, and Harry noticed that her teeth were chattering again like his own.

A few minutes later, Severus entered the room and sat down on the edge of Harry's bed, watching the two children in concern. They were shivering in spite of the sweat that was dripping down their temples. Their cheeks were extremely flushed, and both of them were sneezing every now and then.

"Care to explain what you have been occupying yourselves with during the last hour?" Severus asked softly, while a slender hand found its way on Harry's forehead.

"We've been asleep, sir. We only woke up twenty minutes ago," Julia replied truthfully.

"Ah really?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow. "And how do you explain that you both seem to be worse than in the evening and apparently caught a cold on top of everything else?"

When Julia opened her mouth to answer, Severus reached over, sticking a thermometer into her mouth, before he motioned Harry to open up so that he could take his temperature as well. While they were waiting, Severus waved his wand at Julia a few times, turning to Harry afterwards. "39.8," he told Julia, frowning and mind thought to Poppy, 'Could you come and look after the children, please? I don't know what they did during the night, but their condition is much worse than yesterday.' He took Harry's thermometer back and shook his head. "40.6," he announced, just when Poppy bust through the door.

Severus stood aside, throwing the children a menacing glare. "Let me tell you now, if I ever catch you to do one step out of your beds unless you're allowed to do so or have to use the bathroom, I will put you in a body bind."

"Severus, please be kind," Poppy admonished him lightly. "The children are both very ill. I have no idea how they could aggravate their condition so much, especially as both have caught bronchitis on top of their measles."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During the next few days, Julia and Harry were so ill that they couldn't even think about leaving their beds, not even to retrieve the parchments, which they had taken from Filch's office and which Harry had hurriedly stuck into his desk's drawer when they came back that morning.

Finally, their friends returned to the castle, but since Hermione and Neville hadn't had the wizard's measles before, they were not allowed to visit Julia and Harry. However, Ken entered their room when the Welcoming feast was barely over. "What are the two of you doing?" he asked, incredulously. "Professor Snape told me that you've been ill during the whole holidays."

"Yes, well, but that's not interesting. Tell us what we missed," Julia demanded.

Ken sighed. "They obviously don't know how, but the house elves seem to have caught the wizard's measles. Half of them are already ill, and the other half is expected to fall ill during the next five days. Therefore, they have assigned all classes chores, which normally the house elves do. As long as there are still elves, who are healthy, they will still clean the halls during the night and do the cooking. However, we have to clean our whole House by ourselves. And if the remaining elves fall ill, before the first ones recover, which is probably, someone has to clean the halls and cook the meals as well."

'_Oh no! That's my fault_,' Harry thought horrified. '_One of the elves touched me to wake me up when we spent the night outside_.'

"By the way, did you discover something on the last night before the holidays?" Julia asked interestedly.

"Ah right, you weren't there then. Yes, in fact there are three libraries, and depending on the colour you choose at the wall, you can access either of them. We spent the whole night in the library of Rowena Ravenclaw though, because it held the largest amount of books," Ken replied chuckling. "You should tell your parents about it, Harry, but better wait until you're both back to full health, so that they won't become suspicious and ask when we discovered it.

"Of course," Harry replied hoarsely. "I'm not that stupid."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

A few days later, Severus came to check on the children a few minutes before midnight. "You're early today," Harry, who had woken up by the cool touch on his forehead, whispered astonished.

"Yes, I have to get up at four o'clock and have to cook breakfast and prepare lunch for the whole school since all the house elves are sick with the wizard's measles, and nobody else is able to cook," Severus told him, sighing.

"Oh no! Please, can I help you?" Harry asked, terrified. "I know how to cook; I always had to make all the meals at the Dursleys."

Severus sighed. "Thanks for offering, Harry. However, as long as your fever is so high and Madam Pomfrey doesn't you allow out of bed, I'm afraid that you can't help me."

'_That we will see_,' Harry thought and impatiently waited for the Potions Master to retire for the night. When Severus left for his quarters, Harry silently scrambled out of bed, pulled his robes over, and left the room, heading for the castle's kitchens. He tried to remember what the house elves normally cooked for lunch and swiftly began with the preparations, but tried to relax, knowing that he had more than enough time. Searching through the ingredients, he picked up everything he would need. The only problem was to calculate how much he'd need of everything. '_Well, I'll just cook a normal portion of something, and then I'll try out the usual copying spell. Maybe I can copy the food just like the parchments_,' he mused and busied himself to prepare a normal portion of shepherd's pie for four persons.

Seeing that the dish held about ten times the amount of pie, he tried to magically enlarge the pie, incredibly happy when he succeeded. When the dish was ready, so that he could place it in the huge oven that was large enough to hold about thirty dishes of the same size, he just tried to copy the dish as it was, looking unbelievingly at the result. '_It works this way_,' he thought amazed. '_That's brilliant_.' He copied the two dishes, then the four he received and so on, until thirty dishes were lined up on the huge baking tray, which he put into the oven incanting, "Wingardium Leviosa."

Harry quickly concentrated on the next dish. '_We need vegetables as well_,' he thought and prepared a bowl of carrots and green peas, which he copied tenfold into a huge pot, before he began to peel potatoes. '_There must be a spell for that, but I don't know how to do it with magic_,' he mused. '_Maybe I should ask Severus. No, he can't know that I tried to help him here_,' he corrected himself immediately. '_Now, what are we going to have for dessert?_' he mused and decided on chocolate pudding and strawberry jelly, knowing that neither of them would take much effort, especially as the enlargement and copy spells worked so well.

At three o'clock in the morning, lunch was ready. Harry sighed in relief and put everything under a stasis charm like with potions, so that the dishes would still be fresh and warm at lunchtime. '_All right; now let's start with breakfast_,' he thought and began to make toast and bacon, applying the stasis charm continuously as he worked. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice the kitchen door being opened and nearly jumped startled when he suddenly heard two different voices approaching the part of the kitchen where he was working.

"I don't know if I'll be much of a help," Harry recognized Poppy's voice and sighed, relieved not to have to deal with strangers, but terrified to have to answer to this two people what he was doing in the kitchen in spite of explicitly being confined to bed.

"Harry!" he soon heard two voices gasp simultaneously. "What are you doing here?" Poppy asked astonished, while Severus threw him a menacing glare.

"I've already prepared lunch and put everything under a stasis charm, and I've just started to make breakfast," Harry explained as if everything was as it should be.

"How did you learn to cook so well, Harry?" Poppy enquired with surprise written on her face.

"At the Dursleys," Harry replied, averting his eyes to the floor.

"As much as I appreciate your efforts to help me, I remember to have given you explicit orders to remain in bed," Severus said in a dangerously quiet voice.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I really wanted to help, and I feel fine," Harry returned, giving the teacher an apologizing look. "Moreover, the elves surely got the measles from me, so this is all my fault," he added in a small voice.

"No Harry, it's not your fault that you're ill, neither that one of the elves obviously touched you. Well, since Severus and I are here now and will finish breakfast, I'd like you to go back to bed. We really appreciate your help, and if you feel well enough tonight, you may help again," Poppy told him gently, smiling while Harry hurriedly left the kitchen.

During the next two weeks, Poppy entered Harry's room every morning at three o'clock and checked on him, and except for two mornings, on which his condition was too bad, he was always allowed to help Poppy and Severus with the preparation of breakfast and lunch. They also prepared dinner together after the last class in the afternoon. Harry enjoyed working together with Poppy and Severus, but nevertheless he was glad when the house elves returned to their work, and he was overjoyed when Poppy finally allowed him to go back to classes, nearly a week after Julia had been allowed to get up.

* * *

HP

_Thanks for your kind reviews! I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes – or tell me, so that I can correct them!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33 - Epilogue  
**

Their friends took the news that Julia and Harry were going out very well. "I always thought that the two of you would make a good match," Hermione told them, throwing Ken a hesitant glance, which went unnoticed by everyone but Julia.

"Obviously boys are slower to understand things than girls," she whispered to Hermione, while they were sitting in Harry's room doing homework. "If you're interested in Ken, you will probably have to do the first step."

However, it was only at the beginning of the next school year that Ken and Hermione began to date. At the same time, Neville asked hesitantly, if he could bring a first year girl named Luna to Harry's room in order to introduce her to his friends. From that time onwards, the small group held six students, who spent all their free time together in spite of being in three different years and in all four Houses.

They remained best friends until their graduation and even after that. After taking their NEWTs, Julia and Ken remained at Hogwarts, Ken as the professor for the newly invented subject 'Magical Business Studies,' and Julia as the teacher for Transfiguration, while Minerva became the Headmistress due to Albus' wish to retire.

Harry, who was still suffering from his weak immune system in spite of all the efforts from Severus' side to brew a potion that might help him, decided to become a Healer and attended a Healing course at St. Mungo's, which lasted three years. During that time, Harry and Severus worked together on a potion for Harry and efficiently managed to develop something that helped Harry's immune system improve immensely, so that he could return to Hogwarts as a Healer, working together with Poppy not only for Hogwarts but for Hogsmeade as well. They had a small office in Hogsmeade, to where they could floo within seconds when they were alerted by a spell that their presence was required.

In the meantime, Hermione had taken over Madam Pince's position as the librarian, and Neville had begun to work as Professor Sprout's assistant for Herbology. A year later, Luna replaced Professor Trelawney in Divination.

A year after Harry was the last of the friends to return to Hogwarts, the three couples got married.

Thirteen years later, a whole Quidditch team of Potter, Longbottom, and Brighton children were running around Hogwarts. Since they had grown up like siblings, knowing each other from baby time onwards, they were best friends, and to their parents' extreme amazement, they were all sorted into Ravenclaw.

At the Welcoming feast, during which their first three children were sorted, Harry told Minerva and Severus, "Thank you so much for rescuing me from the Dursleys and taking me in that time. Otherwise, I'd never been able to properly study at Hogwarts, and neither could I have become a Healer and return here. I'm very happy."

Both teachers returned the young man, whom they thought of as their son, a bright smile, and Severus told him, "We have to thank you Harry, for being able to hear the truth and kill the Dark Lord in your first Hogwarts year. I'm sure that this has spared every one of us much grief if not worse."

Minerva pulled Harry into a bear hug. "I'm very proud of you, son."

**The End**

* * *

_I hope you won't kill me that I ended the story here. But frankly speaking, everything else I could add to this story would be repetitive. Thanks for your many kind reviews during this story! I hope you enjoyed it! I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes – or tell me, so that I can correct them!_

_All recognizable characters belong to J.K.Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	34. EPILOGUE

_This is my "Thank you" for all your kind reviews and your support throughout this story! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Good morning, sweetie; Harry, you have to get up NOW," Julia's voice penetrated Harry's ears, while he felt his shoulder lightly shaken.

Harry quickly waved his hand, casting a Tempus Charm, before he lazily opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, where the numbers '5:25' were displayed. "It's only half past five in the morning," he groaned. "Did anyone have an accident, or why do I have to get up at such an ungodly time in the middle of the summer holidays?"

Julia sighed. "Today, it's the Headmaster of Hogwarts' hundredth birthday, and all of our students took the Hogwarts Express parting from Kings Cross at eleven o'clock in the evening to spend the day at Hogwarts until they have to ride the train back at five in the afternoon. You know that the students cannot stay overnight during the holidays; that's why the teachers came up with this idea in order to give the students the chance to attend the birthday party. Anyway, all the students are going to arrive in about half an hour; so please get up if you don't want me to let our great grandchildren loose on you."

"Oh no!" Harry groaned and quickly scrambled out of bed. He hurried to take a shower and dress in his green dress robes that Julia had laid out for him.

"Wait! What did you say? Birthday party? Whose birthday is it?" he suddenly asked in confusion.

"Well yours of course," Julia replied, giving him an innocent smile. "Happy birthday, Harry and welcome to the circle of the people of a hundred years and more."

"No way; I'm going back to bed," Harry decided and with a wave of his hand exchanged his dress robes with his pyjamas, heading back to bed. '_I well remember Albus' two hundredth and Severus' hundredth birthday, and I do not want such a fuss_,' he mused, while he nestled deep under his covers.

Ten minutes of Julia's intense begging and threatening later, Harry still didn't move. '_What am I going to do?_' Julia thought feverishly. '_Shall I call our great grand children like I threatened, or should I call the only person really able to handle him?_' She decided for the latter option and unbeknownst to Harry headed to the fireplace to call Poppy.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

A few minutes later, Poppy's voice penetrated Harry's ear. "Good morning, Harry. Julia told me that you feel too sick to attend our huge birthday party that is planned for today. What's wrong?"

"I'm tired, I'm feeling old, and I hate birthday parties, especially my own ones," Harry groaned.

"All right, Harry. You seem to be really ill this morning. I will put you on a stretcher and take you with me to the hospital wing," Poppy told her colleague, smirking. "Since the students should arrive during the next few minutes, they will be able to congratulate you on our way to the hospital wing. We're going to make a small detour through the entrance hall." Poppy waved her wand to conjure a stretcher and pointed her wand at Harry.

"Poppy! Don't even think about it!" Harry groaned and grudgingly scrambled out of bed once more, banishing the stretcher with a wave of his hand.

'Severus?' he thought to the man that came close to a father to him. 'Are you and Minerva already up?'

'Good morning, Harry. Happy Birthday!'

'Oh, don't happy birthday me; I don't want a party,' Harry thought back angrily.

'Well, since Minerva is organizing everything together with your children Lily and Alexander, she has been up and about for two hours now. I'm just on my way to the Great Hall too, and I expect you there in a few minutes.'

"Now Harry, are you going to move, or do I have to help you?" Poppy asked impatiently.

Harry quickly changed his clothes back to the dress robes. "All right, all right; I was just talking to my Dad, and since he told me that Mum has already been working for the party for two hours, I know that I will have to attend it."

"Very well," the Medi-witch replied and pulled him with her down to the entrance hall, where all the other teachers were already waiting for Harry and for the students to arrive.

When she released her grip on Harry, he walked over to his parents, who were standing close to each other in an embrace. Harry smiled at their display of affection, which could only be seen in their private quarters or when no students were in sight. "Good morning, Minerva, Severus," he said, smiling when Severus released Minerva at once, so that she could pull Harry in a bear hug.

"Good morning, son. Happy hundredth birthday!" Minerva said, smiling back.

Suddenly, the door to the Great Hall opened and twenty children of different age approached Harry. They stood in a circle around him and began to sing the Happy Birthday song, before they shouted, "Happy birthday, Granddad Harry!"

"Thanks a lot, children. You did that really well," Harry commended his great grand children as well as those of Ken and Neville, before he let out a groan, when the sounds of several hundreds of students arriving on the grounds penetrated his ears.

"Well, we better retreat into the Great Hall," Minerva suggested and led the group into the beautifully decorated Hall. Since she had resigned from her position as headmistress, she was living together with Severus, who still was the Potions professor and Slytherin Head of House. Instead of teaching students, she was now teaching and looking after the other teachers' small children until they were old enough to officially enter Hogwarts. She also helped Harry with his headmaster duties, whenever he was busy with his obligations as a Healer, which he still fulfilled together with Poppy.

Harry was pulled out of his reverie, when his daughter Lily, who was the Deputy Headmistress, clung her spoon against her glass, causing her two-year-old grandson Ben to imitate her happily. 'Now, you have to say something,' Severus mind thought to Harry.

Harry stood up and turned to the students. "Thank you very much for spending so much of your valuable holiday time and come to Hogwarts to celebrate an old man's birthday, which really is not such a big deal. Well, I hope that you enjoy your stay here in the castle for a day, and as far as I heard, my colleagues and family have prepared a rally for you. Together with your dormitory room mates, you will receive a parchment with questions that will lead you all over the castle to get to know Hogwarts better and find the answers to the questions."

"What are the prizes?" someone interrupted him.

"Each group will receive a prize," Lily answered. "However, the headmaster was not involved in the planning. So you'll just have to wait and see."

"Well, I would like to set out an additional prize," Harry announced. "The first seven groups may choose one person each, who wants to play Quidditch against a teachers' team in the afternoon." He looked around the head table. "Well, I'm going to play Seeker for the teachers' team, and I will announce my other team members at lunchtime."

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

The morning passed in a blur for Harry. While the students were busy hurrying all over the castle to answer questions and most of the younger teachers were positioned at several places all over Hogwarts to help and watch the students, Harry was busy unwrapping hundreds of presents. Fortunately, his family and his best friends were there and helped him. In the meantime, he thought about how to form his Quidditch team and decided on Rolanda Hooch, his grandson Salazar, who was the new Charms professor, and his daughter Lily as Chasers, Ken and his eleven-year-old great grandson Brian as Beaters, and Neville's grandson Frank as Keeper.

The weather on this summer day was absolutely beautiful, and after forty minutes into the game Harry caught the Snitch, causing the teachers to win the match against the students 180 – 50.

"Dear students and colleagues, thank you very much for a really enjoyable Quidditch match," Harry spoke up, when everyone once more assembled in the Great Hall for tea, before the students had to take the train back home. "For many years, I dreamed about playing Quidditch here at Hogwarts once more, and I thank you all for giving me this opportunity today. It was my very best birthday present."

HP

Later in the evening, all the teachers and their families held a picnic on the grounds, before Neville's and Luna's grandsons launched beautiful fireworks over the lake.

"Now sweetie, do you regret that we forced you to get up in the morning?" Julia whispered, while she leaned into his arms.

"No love, I really enjoyed this day. It was my best birthday ever," Harry replied, pulling her into a long kiss.

**The End**

* * *

HP

_As you know, I am not a native speaker of English. So please excuse my mistakes – or tell me, so that I can correct them!_

_All recognizable characters belong to __Mrs. Rowling__, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


End file.
